A beloved Santa Monica Montessori closed its doors. An AI school is moving in

Summary by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Elly Yu, LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) · July 23, 2026 · 4 min read

Alpha School, an AI-powered school, plans to open up its second location in Santa Monica at what used to be the Santa Monica Montessori School. (Agustin Aleman / For LAist) A Montessori school in Santa Monica founded in 1960 closed its doors last Friday. Now, a new AI-powered school plans to move...

Why this matters in The Los Angeles

The sudden closure of Santa Monica Montessori School leaves a void in the community, particularly for families who valued its humanistic approach to education. With at least 167 pre-K centers closing in L.A. County between 2020 and 2024, the loss of this institution is part of a larger trend that may have long-term implications for local families. The incoming Alpha School, with its AI-powered curriculum, may offer a unique educational experience, but it remains to be seen whether it can replicate the sense of community that Santa Monica Montessori provided. For parents like Jocelyn Ranne, who are now scrambling to find alternative schools, the closure highlights the need for a more stable and supportive early childhood education ecosystem in Los Angeles. As the city continues to evolve, it will be crucial to monitor how the growth of universal transitional kindergarten and the decline of private preschools like Santa Monica Montessori affect the educational landscape and the families that rely on it.

About this story

Original reporting by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). The Los Angeles surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page.

For the complete original report, visit LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom.

Category: schools · Published: July 23, 2026 · Source: LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) · Reading time: 4 min

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Summary created by	The Los Angeles Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed
Original reporting	Elly Yu, LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio)
Original story	Read at the source
Source published	Jul 23, 2026
Indexed here	Jul 23, 2026
AI assistance	Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text
Prepublication human review	No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples

A beloved Santa Monica Montessori closed its doors. An AI school is moving in

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