About Us

Martha Filley founded Escuela Montessori in 1974 in an existing building located behind her one-acre Upper Valley residence. By 1975, her enrollment had increased from 15 to 45, and had outgrown the original schoolhouse. Construction on the first custom designed school building was completed by 1976.

In response to parental demand, Ms. Filley has since added 4 more classroom buildings at two locations.  From 1980-1996, student enrollment remained steady at 115 students. In recent years, however, the increasing demand in the Elementary class exceeded the available space.  In response, the school purchased ½ acres of land adjacent to the upper valley location at 208 W. Sunset. This is now the home of the new Elementary building, a 2,400 square foot state of the art facility with custom designed computer and science facilities, as well as the traditional Montessori materials. With a capacity of 30 students, the Elementary facility is home for 1^st through 5th grades.

In 1981 our second school was built.  Escuela Montessori de Coronado is located on ½ acre of land in El Paso’s rapidly growing Westside. The Franklin Mountains behind the buildings and playground create a beautiful backdrop for two magnificent classroom facilities.   During the spring and summer, children help tend vegetable and flower gardens scattered about the school grounds. At Escuela Montessori, we believe that an exciting and stimulating outdoor environment is equally as important as that inside the classroom.

With the need for a Premier Montessori School on the eastside, our third school was born. Sun Country Montessori was completed on El Paso’s booming far eastside.  It is convenient to both Fort Bliss and the new Sierra Providence East Medical Center.  The beautiful classrooms are located on one acre of land offering room for expansion and across the street from Sun Ridge Park and Lujan Chavez Elementary.  Many of our graduates continue on to Lujan Chavez making Sun Country Montessori a true neighborhood school.

A Montessori school is neither a traditional play school nor a day care program. Rather, it is a unique cycle of learning designed to take advantage of a child’s sensitive years between two and six, whe he can absorb information from an enriched environment. A child who acquires the basic skills of reading and arithmetic in this natural way has the advantage of beginning his education without drudgery, boredom, or discouragement. By pursuing his individual interests in a Montessori classroom, he gains an early enthusiasm for learning.