Helena Public Montessori Parents, Inc. (HPMP) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of parents and others who support Montessori education in Helena’s public schools.

Fund-raisers --- such as LobsterFest --- generate funds to provide the specialized Montessori teacher training and continuing education as well as Montessori materials for the classrooms.

Since 1990, Montessori has been a choice for parents and children in Helena’s public school system. Today, Helena School District #1 provides two lower elementry classrooms (grades 1–3) and one upper elementry classroom (grades 4–5) at Broadwater, Central and Smith Elementary Schools.

The public Montessori program is open to all Helena School District #1 children through an annual lottery system. Because of limited space in the Montessori program, entering first-graders are selected by lottery each spring. This year's lottery will be Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 4 PM at the May Butler building, 55 South Rodney Street, Helena, MT. Applications are available at Central, Smith and Broadwater Elementary Schools, and are due prior to the lottery. An orientation meeting to learn about the program and the lottery will be held on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 7 PM at Smith Elementary School, 2320 5th Ave, Helena, MT.

The program is provided at no additional cost, and transportation is provided to those students who need it. Students in the Montessori program join all other students for P.E., music, lunch, recess, and other school-wide events.