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Mi Escuela plans to move to its new Bartow location at 1702 N. Wilson Ave. in the Stuart Crossing development later this year; however, a definitive date has not been set. 

Founded in Lakeland in 2021, the school operates as a tuition-free public charter for K-8 students. Additional preschool programs are subsidized through scholarships and partnerships organizations like the Early Learning Coalition to reduce costs for families. 

Mi Escuela blends Montessori learning, a type of education that is student-led and self-paced, with dual-language instruction in English and Spanish.

“Every day in a Montessori classroom is a different day,” said Executive Director Kelly De La Cruz.

A small group of middle school students sit together around a table working on assignments inside a classroom at Mi Escuela Montessori.
Middle school students collaborate during a classroom activity at Mi Escuela Montessori, which offers gifted education and student-led learning programs. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow

With Montessori, dual language, full gifted, and special education services all offered under one roof, gifted teacher, Lois Horn-Diaz, Ed.D, said Mi Escuela stands out.

De La Cruz said Montessori education is often seen as out of reach for many families, a perception she is actively working to change.

This year at Mi Escuela about 65% of students are Hispanic and roughly 50% qualify for free or reduced lunch.

“Families that were in lower-income situations… didn’t know about it,” said De La Cruz. “So how do you design a school that meets the needs of a wider population?”

A phased move to Bartow with double the enrollment

Mi Escuela originally opened with 168 students and now serves 376, having more than doubled in five years. 

The new Mi Escuela campus, currently under construction in Bartow, is expected to open later this year. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow

With the move to Bartow, the school plans to expand to about 700 students, nearly doubling in capacity again. By January of 2027, De La Cruz says they plan to have moved all operations to the Bartow campus. 

To accommodate the new location, the school is expanding transportation routes and adding a second bus to reach more families across the county, removing one of the most common barriers to access: getting students to campus. 

Learning at the student’s pace

At Mi Escuela, flexibility allows students to learn at their own level and build confidence, in a calmer, more focused environment — a key benefit for both struggling and advanced learners says Horn-Diaz.

“Gifted children are forced to wait for everyone else to catch up in traditional settings,” Horn-Diaz said. 

Teacher and parent Graciela Ruiz has seen students go from feeling stuck or overlooked to actively engaging in learning.  “They guide us on where they are,” she said. “It helps them feel empowered.”

Students also develop bilingual skills through daily immersion in Spanish and English.

“We’re giving families the opportunity to maintain their home language… and build something more,” De La Cruz said.

Beyond academics

As the school grows, leaders say the goal is not simply to add seats — but to expand access to programs and a learning model families may not otherwise be able to experience. 

The new Mi Escuela campus will have increased classroom space and dedicated facilities for arts, cooking, and outdoor learning — part of the broader “whole child” approach that extends beyond academics.

The facility will have a student kitchen, art studio with a kiln, dance space, and gardens. The school is planning activities like student-run markets and other self-guided projects.

These programs are designed to give students real-world, hands-on learning experiences.

Demand is growing faster than access

“I don’t think we’re all the way there yet,” De La Cruz said of making Montessori accessible to all families who might want it. 

She said expansion alone won’t solve that challenge, but De La Cruz hopes the new campus will make the model more visible and reachable for more families. 

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated Kelly De La Cruz’s title, Lois Horn-Diaz’s Ed.D. degree designation and did not provide full context for a quote from Horn-Diaz. The article has been updated.

Elementary students work independently around a Montessori classroom with hands-on learning materials and a Spanish flag displayed on the wall.
Students complete independent learning activities inside a bilingual Montessori classroom at Mi Escuela Montessori in Lakeland. | Kayla Borg, LkldNow

Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.

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Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.

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