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Manhattan · Upper West Side

West Side Montessori School

An AMS + NYSAIS-accredited UWS institution since 1963 — infant through age six — that even runs its own Montessori teacher-training program.

✓ Accreditation verified
Listed in the American Montessori Society directory as an AMS-accredited school (checked July 2026).
See all checks & verify it yourself →

Amber  Staff transparency

Excellent per-teacher credentials and bios — but the site currently shows two different heads of school (incoming Loren DeNicola and a welcome letter still signed by predecessor Mimi Basso), a freshness gap worth confirming. Why this matters →

At a glance

Snapshot

Location309 W 92nd St (infant/toddler at 212 W 95th St), New York, NY 10025 · map ↗
Ages3 months – 6 years
Tuition 2026–27Infant/Toddler $56,900–$69,180 · Twos $44,900–$50,320 · Multi-Age (3–6) $40,180–$62,100
Head of SchoolLoren DeNicola (hired 2025) — site also shows predecessor Mimi Basso
AccreditationAccredited by AMS and NYSAIS; ISAAGNY / NAIS / Parents League
ApproachAuthentic AMS Montessori; runs the WSMS Teacher Education Program
Founded1963
Contactwsmsnyc.org ↗ · (212) 662-8000
Enrolled
~233
Accreditation
AMS + NYSAIS
the high bar
Founded
1963
Photos

See the school

West Side Montessori building
Exterior
Inside West Side Montessori
Interior
Location — interactive map. Open in Google Maps ↗
The neighborhood

Upper West Side

Stylized illustration of the Upper West Side: prewar apartment buildings and brownstones beside a green park edge

The Upper West Side — prewar apartments and brownstones between Central Park and Riverside Park — is a classic family neighborhood dense with playgrounds and served by the 1/2/3 and B/C.

🏛️ Prewar + brownstones🌳 Central & Riverside Parks🚇 1/2/3 · B/C👶 Family-dense

Overview

Founded in 1963, West Side Montessori is a well-established UWS nonprofit serving infants through age six across two nearby buildings. It's notable for running its own AMS-affiliated teacher-training program (WSMS-TEP), which speaks to unusually deep in-house Montessori expertise.

Programs & ages

Infant/Toddler (from 3 months), Twos, and Multi-Age 3–6 classrooms, with a gym and roof play space, half-day through extended-day schedules.

Tuition 2026–27

Ranges from $40,180 (Multi-Age, AM) to $69,180 (11-month infant care). Roughly 20% of families receive need-based aid. Compare on the tuition page.

Leadership & staff

Teacher bios and credentials are detailed and strong. The catch: the site currently reflects a leadership handoff — new Head Loren DeNicola (2025) alongside a welcome letter still signed by predecessor Mimi Basso — so confirm the current head when you inquire.

Accreditation & authenticity

Accredited (not just a member) by AMS and NYSAIS — a top authenticity signal. See our authenticity guide.

What parents say

Independent reviews are sparse but positive (GreatSchools ~5.0 from a small, older sample), praising the community, staff and financial-aid ethos.

Heard around town

Signals from public parent forums and listservs and our own parent & alumni interviews. Forum chatter is opinion — take it with a grain of salt; interview quotes are first-hand and shared with permission.

"West Side: big, relaxed, loud & chaotic (not necessarily bad), not so Montessori compared with MMS, streamlined exmission process, least expensive." StreetEasy Talk · ~2009 · historical
"Big WSMS fans here… I've heard good things about their exmissions." StreetEasy Talk · ~2009 · historical

These are old threads; treat as period color, not current fact.

Admissions

An ISAAGNY member on the standard cohort calendar; tour in the fall. Plan with our admissions timeline and planner.

Sources: wsmsnyc.org (at-a-glance, tuition, community, welcome); amshq.org; GreatSchools; StreetEasy Talk. Verified July 2026. Community quotes paraphrased/historical; independent profile, not affiliated with the school.

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