Mi Escuela Bringing Dual Language Montessori Experience to Bartow
The future home of Mi Escuela Montessori still hums with the sounds of construction, but the vision is already alive: children tending school gardens, practicing violin in a music studio, learning to cook in a child-sized kitchen and moving freely through classrooms designed around curiosity rather than rigid rows of desks.
This fall, the bilingual public charter school will relocate from South Lakeland to a brand-new campus in Bartow, bringing Polk County’s only dual-language Montessori program into a rapidly growing community eager for new educational opportunities.
For founder and executive director Kelly De La Cruz, the move feels both ambitious and deeply personal.
“I always hope that our students feel like they are welcomed into a place designed with their needs in mind,” she said, “a place where everyone celebrates them.”
“We were always interested in being in Bartow,” De La Cruz said. “As the capital of Polk County and the seat of the county government, Bartow offers our students incredible opportunities. It has a wonderful infrastructure and it
keeps growing.”
Since opening in 2021, Mi Escuela Montessori has steadily expanded one grade level at a time, recently celebrating the graduation of its first eighth grade class. Along the way, the school has developed a reputation for blending Montessori philosophy with dual-language immersion, arts education and practical life skills—an approach that stands apart from more traditional educational models.
“In traditional models, the teacher is the source of knowledge and teaches all of the students,” De La Cruz said. “In contrast, Montessori believed that children were capable of great independence and concentration.”
At Mi Escuela Montessori, students are encouraged to initiate tasks, collaborate with classmates, conduct research independently and even mentor younger children. Beyond academics, the school places emphasis on cooking, cleaning up after oneself, conflict resolution and grace and courtesy—lessons designed to prepare students not just for tests, but for life.
The new campus was designed to reflect that philosophy from the ground up. Plans for the school include multiple playgrounds and PE spaces, gardens, breakout learning rooms, a technology lab, a state-of-the-art nurse’s station, a music studio and an art room complete with a kiln. De La Cruz also hopes to expand enrichment opportunities with additional dance, arts and music programming for younger students.
At a time when many schools are trimming arts and gifted programs, Mi Escuela Montessori is intentionally growing them. The school’s enrollment last year was around 370, and the new campus will make room for nearly 700 students.
“Our school is expanding these programs,” De La Cruz said, “adding a dance program for even the younger children.”
The path to opening the new facility has not been without challenges. Funding remains one of the largest hurdles, despite support from a mortgage backed by the Walton Family Foundation and Civic Builders. The school is continuing a capital campaign to help fully build out its long-term vision while racing against a tight construction timeline ahead of the fall opening.
Still, De La Cruz speaks about the project with unmistakable optimism. Even unfinished, the campus represents possibility, not only for the school, but for Polk County families looking for a different kind of educational experience.
“I always hope that our students feel like they are welcomed into a place designed with their needs in mind,” she said, “a place where everyone celebrates them.”
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