Licensed center
Pioneer Academy
A Montessori–inspired center, licensed for 67 children. No complaint investigation has found a violation here, true of 182 of 210 similar-size Seattle-area centers.
Medium center. Medium means the middle half of Seattle-area’s 859 licensed centers by state-licensed capacity: 41 to 114 children. Small is 6 to 40; large is 115 to 323.
How they teach
Montessori–inspired, Reggio Emilia–inspired, Waldorf–inspired and play-based
“We combine the best elements of Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf philosophies to create a unique and balanced program.”In their words. mymontessorischoolllc.com, September 2026
“We believe in providing our teachers with ongoing training and support to help develop their skills for leading stimulating play-based learning experiences.”In their words. mymontessorischoolllc.com, September 2026
One of 60 Seattle-area providers that describe a Montessori approach, out of 256 that describe any approach at all.
Who cares for your child
Not published
What it costs
Not published
Shortlist can ask Pioneer Academy for what it has not published: who is with the children and for how long, what it costs, hours and late pickup, a typical day and sick and biting policies. The answer will go on this page.
What the state has found
No complaint investigation has found a violation since February 2023
182: none28: one to four0: five or more
The 210 Seattle-area centers licensed for 41 to 70 children, the size band this one falls in, as of September 26, 2026.
Larger centers have more complaint investigations, so Pioneer Academy (67 children) is compared with centers its size.
Routine visits: 2 of 2 cited something
Across Seattle-area centers, the state cites something at about 2 in 3 routine visits (1,966 visits). Two visits are too few to read as a pattern.
From Washington DCYF’s published reports, last checked September 26, 2026.
Read every record and the state’s reports
State record — Washington DCYF
- Last visit
- September 30, 2025
- On file
- 2 visits since March 2025 — both cited findings
- Fixed?
- Washington DCYF does not publish whether a finding was corrected.
- Most serious
- Serious —
Assistant teacher J.P. did not have a food handler permit on file. During the onsite visit, the licensor observed staff member J.P. serving food to children. The food handler permit was also not entered into the electronic workforce registry.
· September 30, 2025
Washington DCYF publishes the licensor’s own observation and a risk level for every citation it issues at a licensing visit, with the inspection report attached as a PDF.
Sep 2025 Licensing visit 4 findings
Licensing visit · September 30, 2025
WAC 110-300-0106(12) · Serious
Assistant teacher J.P. did not have a food handler permit on file. During the onsite visit, the licensor observed staff member J.P. serving food to children. The food handler permit was also not entered into the electronic workforce registry.
WAC 110-300-0105(3) · Short Term
The licensor was unable to verify TB tests for staff members J.G. and T.F. There was no TB documentation on file or entered in the electronic workforce registry for the licensor to review during time of visit.
Emergency preparation and exiting
WAC 110-300-0166(3)(a) · Serious
During the inspection, it was found that the emergency exit door in preschool A could not be opened or closed by the licensor or staff. This means the door was not in compliance. WAC requires emergency exit doors to stay unlocked from the inside and be easy to open without keys, tools, or special knowledge. In addition, the door handle must allow people to unlock and open the door immediately in an emergency. Staff stated the door has been broken for a while, making the emergency exit unusable from that classroom.
Transportation and off-site activity policy
WAC 110-300-0480(2) · Serious
licensor observed staff member T.A., who was driving children during the time of visit , did not have CPR certification on file or recorded in the electronic workforce registry. When asked to review it onsite, staff member T.A. did not have a CPR card available for the licensor to verify.
Mar 2025 Licensing visit 1 finding
Licensing visit · March 19, 2025
Storage of hazardous and maintenance supplies
WAC 110-300-0260(1)(a) · Serious
Disinfectant cleaning supplies observed accessible to children in the preschool bathroom. This was corrected onsite
A day here
Not published
Details
- Website
- mymontessorischoolllc.com
- Address
- 515 E Smith St
- License
- PL-85207, active
- Quality program
- Early Achievers Enrolled
Do you run Pioneer Academy? Shortlist has no tuition, hours or ratios for it, because the state does not publish that. Add what is missing. It is free and takes about ten minutes.
Sources and dates
Where every fact on this page came from, and when Shortlist last checked it against that source. Anything Shortlist could not source is named here rather than left blank.
All checked September 2026.
How they teach
- Approach — mymontessorischoolllc.com
How they teach
- Approach — mymontessorischoolllc.com
State record
Every state visit and complaint on file, shown in full and never edited. Open a date to read what the state wrote.
Details
- Website — mymontessorischoolllc.com
- Address, License, Quality program — data.wa.gov