Amber Staff transparency
Hopscotch is refreshingly clear on price — it publishes a full, itemized tuition schedule by program, schedule and days, which most NYC schools won't. It names its founder and campuses. What it doesn't publish is a roster of individual classroom teachers with Montessori credential levels; as a multi-site, for-profit international operation, staffing can also vary by campus and year — so confirm your specific classroom's teachers and credentials on a tour. Why this matters →
Snapshot
See the school
Upper East Side (Yorkville)
The flagship campus sits in Yorkville, on the Upper East Side's east end near the East River and Carl Schurz Park — a residential, family-heavy stretch a short walk from the Q at 72nd/86th and the 4/5/6 on Lexington. The second campus at VIA 57 anchors the far West Side near the river.
Overview
Hopscotch Montessori opened in 2008 and has grown into an international network, with two Manhattan campuses plus locations in Toronto, London and Kyiv. The Upper East Side campus serves toddler through primary (roughly 2–6); the VIA 57 campus on the West Side spans from infancy up through a K–6 elementary program. It's a full member of the American Montessori Society and runs an internationally-minded Montessori curriculum (including a Montessori Model UN at the elementary level).
Programs & ages
Preschool programs (Nido/infant, Toddler, Primary and Kindergarten) run on flexible schedules — half-day, full-day and extended-day, from two to five days a week — which is what produces the wide tuition range below. The elementary school (K–6) at VIA 57 runs full days, Monday–Friday, with enrichment and a residency program. Summer camp is offered.
Tuition 2026–27
Hopscotch publishes an unusually complete tuition schedule. The single most comparable figure — full-day, five-day preschool — is $43,000; the headline range spans from an $11,000 two-afternoon toddler slot up to $49,000 for full-day K–6 elementary, so the range reflects schedule, not a mystery. A $100 application fee and a yearly lunch fee are additional. Preschool matrix:
| Preschool schedule | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half day AM (8:30–12:30) | $19,000 | $25,000 | $36,000 |
| Half day PM (3:00–6:00) | $11,000 | $14,000 | $19,000 |
| Full day (8:30–3:15) | $25,000 | $33,000 | $43,000 |
| Full day PM (1:00–6:00) | $16,000 | $22,000 | $30,000 |
| Extended day (8:30–6:00) | $27,000 | $37,000 | $48,000 |
Elementary (K–6, VIA 57): full day, 5 days — $49,000. Compare the full-day preschool figure citywide on our tuition page.
Leadership & staff
The school publishes a "Welcome from the Founder" and its campus leadership, and is a full AMS member. As a multi-site, for-profit operation it doesn't post a public roster of individual classroom teachers with their Montessori credential levels — the detail behind its Amber rating — so ask, per campus, who would teach your child and what credentials they hold.
Accreditation & authenticity
Hopscotch is a full member of the American Montessori Society and appears in the AMS directory (checked July 2026). Membership is not the same as AMS accreditation, but the AMS affiliation plus a genuine work cycle and mixed-age classrooms are positive authenticity signals; the international-franchise model is the main thing to weigh. See our accreditation check and authenticity guide.
Ownership & stability
Hopscotch is a for-profit business with an international footprint and an explicit franchising arm. Network/franchise ownership can shape pricing, staffing and consistency across campuses — worth understanding — though we found no closure or instability signals for the NYC campuses. (For why ownership matters, see our news page.)
What parents say
Public reviews are mixed and modest in volume, split across the two campuses on Niche and similar sites. Families praise the flexible schedules and international feel; as always with a small sample, weigh reviews alongside your own tour. First-hand accounts welcome.
Heard around town
Signals from public parent forums and listservs (UrbanBaby, Reddit, UES parent groups) and our own parent & alumni interviews. Forum chatter is opinion — often anonymous and sometimes years old — so take it with a grain of salt.
Admissions
Admissions run on inquiry, tour and online application, with a non-refundable one-month deposit to secure a place and rolling offers as space allows. For the age-3 Primary cohort the citywide calendar matters more — plan with our admissions timeline and planner.