History

Our Roots…

In 1990, local educator Lou Genova started a small Montessori program in his home. After several years, demand grew and it was clear that a larger and more formal space was needed. Damariscotta Montessori School soon moved into a retail space that it shared with Women of Substance at 508 Main Street.

For eleven years the school existed as a primary program and small elementary program, providing Midcoast Maine families with a quality Montessori education option.

In 2001, the school was purchased by Chip DeLorenzo, who aided in shifting the school to nonprofit status after several years. By this time the school served approximately 30 students, and it was clear that there was a strong desire for an expanded elementary program.

 In 2002 this dream came to fruition, and a new elementary program was established. 

In 2005 the school moved to its current location in Nobleboro, and in 2009 an addition was added. This allowed for more classroom space, including space for a middle school program that began in 2010. DMS has consistently served about 100 students each year since, providing a well-established, high-fidelity Montessori program with all the benefits of a small school.

In the fall of 2020, Shawnaly Tabor took on the Associate Head of School position and then moved into the Head of School role when Chip retired in 2021. Shawnaly was the Lead Teacher in the Lower Elementary classroom at Damariscotta Montessori School for twelve years prior to becoming the Head of School. She has helped the school rebuild and strengthen its community feeling in the years following COVID-19, started a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and has continued to support the school’s high-fidelity Montessori programming. Shawnaly’s son attended the school from Pre-K through 8th grade.

The school now serves around one hundred students, in five classrooms. DMS graduates sometimes come back to work or volunteer with us, which is always a beautiful, full-circle connection.