International Montessori School

Two IMS campuses: Academy Campus, 3001 Academy Road, Suite 300, Durham, NC 27707; Barbée Chapel Campus, 5510 Barbee Chapel Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517.

Toddler (18-36 months); Early Childhood (3-6 years); Elementary (6-12 years); Middle School (12-14 years). Summer Camp is also offered.

Language-immersion Montessori school for students from 18 months through 8th grade.

United States

Regular day: 8:15 AM–3:00 PM; After School: 3:00 PM–5:30 PM.

Bus service is available for Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle Grades. One-way bus fee is $650; two-way bus fee is $1,000. Toddler has no bus option.

Application & One‑Time Enrollment Fees
- Application fee: USD 100 per household. USD 75 for siblings applying at the same time.
- Enrollment fee (new students): USD 1,500.
- Sibling enrollment fee: USD 1,000.

Annual Tuition — 2026/27 (by program)
- Toddler (Regular Day): USD 21,150 per year. Per standard 10‑payment plan installment: USD 2,115.00.
- Early Childhood (Regular Day): USD 19,695 per year. Per 10‑payment installment: USD 1,969.50. (Half‑day Early Childhood for 3s & 4s: USD 14,710 per year.)
- Lower Elementary (Regular Day): USD 19,695 per year. Per 10‑payment installment: USD 1,969.50.
- Upper Elementary (Regular Day): USD 20,530 per year. Per 10‑payment installment: USD 2,053.00.
- Middle Grades (Regular Day): USD 22,680 per year. Per 10‑payment installment: USD 2,268.00.

Program add‑on fees (annual amounts)
- After‑School program (annual): Toddler USD 5,500; Early Childhood USD 4,515; Lower Elementary USD 4,515; Upper Elementary USD 4,515. Per 10‑payment installment, divide these amounts by 10 if included in the tuition payment plan (e.g., Toddler after‑school = USD 550.00 per installment).
- School supply fee (annual): Toddler USD 60; Early Childhood USD 30 (USD 40 for Kindergarten); Lower Elementary USD 50; Upper Elementary USD 55; Middle Grades USD 75. These are charged per year.
- Bus fees (annual): One‑way USD 685; both ways USD 1,050 (Kinder one‑way and both‑ways shown as same amounts, noted TBD for Kinder). These are charged per year.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Standard payment plans available:
- Lump‑sum payment: one‑time payment of the full annual tuition due by March for the school year beginning in August. A pre‑payment discount of 3% applies to payments made in March (not available to families receiving financial assistance or after March 31).
- Monthly (standard) payment plan: the annual tuition is divided into a tuition deposit equal to 10% of tuition charged in March, with nine additional equal payments for a total of 10 payments; for practical purposes this yields ten equal installments of 10% each (deposit + nine payments). For new students the tuition deposit and enrollment fee are due March 5 or upon acceptance to reserve a place; for returning students the tuition deposit is charged in March according to existing payment dates. Remaining payments begin in August. In late enrollments, remaining tuition is amortized across the remaining scheduled payments, which may result in fewer than 10 payments. Continuous enrollment billing for returning families begins automatically unless the family notifies the school of withdrawal by February.
- How installments are applied: the standard monthly plan effectively results in 10 equal installments (each installment = annual tuition ÷ 10). Additional program fees (after‑school, bus, supply fees) are charged as annual amounts; families may include these in payment arrangements according to the tuition management system and the school's billing procedures.

Boarding
- Boarding is not applicable. IMS operates as a day school (programs, campus hours, and campus listings reflect day‑program operation; no residential/boarding program or boarding fees are published).

Other costs and optional charges
- Application fee and enrollment fees (see above) are one‑time charges at application/acceptance. The application fee is billed at application submission and is non‑refundable.
- Summer camp: separate registration and fees apply. Camp weeks require a non‑refundable 50% deposit at registration; the balance is due by May 31; cancellations or switches are allowed up to May 31. All transaction convenience fees for camp are non‑refundable. Families enrolled at IMS are billed through the school's tuition management system.
- School supply and bus fees (listed above) are charged annually when applicable. Additional incidental fees (field trips, special materials, extended‑care beyond stated after‑school program, etc.) may be charged as they occur; such incidental fees are not listed as standard annual charges in the published schedule.

Refunds and withdrawal timing
- Application fee: billed at application and specified as non‑refundable.
- Continuous‑enrollment and withdrawal timing: for returning students, billing for the upcoming year begins automatically unless the family notifies the school of withdrawal in February of the current year; this timing determines whether billing will commence for the upcoming year. Specific refund amounts or the refundability of the enrollment fee are not published in the publicly available tuition and admissions materials.
- Summer camp cancellations: camp deposits are 50% non‑refundable; the remaining balance and cancellation window are described under summer camp policies.

Fee payment channels and practical notes
- Billing and payments are processed through the school's tuition management system; available payment plans (lump‑sum or monthly/10‑payment plan) are administered through that system. Specific, detailed lists of accepted payment methods (for example, which credit cards are accepted, whether ACH/bank transfer is accepted, or whether payment by check is permitted) are not published in the public fee pages. Families set payment methods and automatic billing within the tuition management portal as part of enrollment and payment‑plan setup.

Summary of the key published 2026/27 figures
- Annual tuition (Regular Day): Toddler USD 21,150; Early Childhood USD 19,695; Lower Elementary USD 19,695; Upper Elementary USD 20,530; Middle Grades USD 22,680. Per 10‑payment installment: divide each annual tuition by 10 (examples given above).

Note on items not publicly specified
- The published materials list program and annual fees, the application fee (stated non‑refundable), the enrollment fee, payment plans, and summer camp cancellation terms. The school's publicly available pages do not publish a detailed enrollment‑fee refund policy, an exhaustive list of accepted payment methods (credit card brands, ACH, etc.), or a uniform fee or uniform‑purchase requirement. For items not listed publicly (for example, enrollment‑fee refundability or exact accepted payment instruments), families arrange specifics through the admissions or business office and the tuition management portal.

IMS is a diverse, international community with families from many cultures and languages; language immersion in French, Spanish, and Mandarin.