A new private school broke ground in southwest Bakersfield this week, with organizers behind Kindred Montessori Academy marking the occasion with a ceremony that drew a former Montessori parent as a speaker. The academy is expected to open for the 2027-28 school year.
Jacqueline Marisigan, described as a former Montessori parent, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new school, according to The Bakersfield Californian, which reported on the event with a byline from Steven Mayer. The newspaper's coverage, including the accompanying photo credited to Mayer, marks the public debut of the project in southwest Bakersfield.
Kindred Montessori Academy describes its educational approach on its own website as rooted in Montessori philosophy, where youngsters learn through hands-on exploration and purposeful work rather than rote instruction. “Children learn through hands-on exploration, purposeful work, and freedom within clear and loving boundaries,” the school states on its About Kindred page. The academy also says it began with a simple belief: that childhood deserves gentleness, beauty and respect.
A School That Also Offers Childcare
Kindred frames itself as more than a traditional classroom setting. “We are a school and we offer childcare,” the academy notes on its about page, suggesting a dual role for families seeking both early education and supervised care in one setting.
The school also identifies itself as a registered nonprofit organization, stating on its nonprofit page that it hopes to expand access to Montessori education by offering tuition support, scholarships and sliding-scale options whenever possible. Kindred says it is actively seeking committed community members to join its developing Board of Directors, signaling the organization is still building out its governance structure ahead of opening day.
Other Montessori Growth in Bakersfield
Kindred's groundbreaking comes amid other Montessori expansion activity around Bakersfield. Valley Montessori Academy has pursued its own Infant & Toddler Village expansion, planned as an addition to its existing campus in the Seven Oaks Business Park in southwest Bakersfield, according to Bakersfield.com. That expansion was described as set to debut in Fall 2026, per a release detailed by Bolthouse Properties, and includes two infant classrooms for children ages 6 to 18 months, three toddler classrooms for children 18 to 36 months, and a new primary classroom called Casa 4 for children ages 3 to 6.
Valley Montessori Academy itself has a longer history at that southwest Bakersfield location. A 2021 report from KGET noted the private school planned to open its new facility at the Seven Oaks Business Park that summer. Valley Montessori Academy is described as serving children from 18 months to 9 years old, according to the Bolthouse Properties release.
The new school is in southwest Bakersfield, broke ground this week and is targeting the 2027-28 school year for opening, according to the Californian's report.
