Hayfield Montessori School set to close after nearly 60 years. Here's why

Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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One of Louisville's Montessori schools will close its doors for the final time in 2024.

Hayfield Montessori Principal Aline Abell, who is also the daughter of the school's founders, said her family is closing the school after a 57-year run.

"We're not closing because of anything to do with enrollment or finances," Abell said. "We're just ready for the next chapter in our lives."

Both the school campus and the house Hayfield Montessori's founding family lived in are for sale, listed at $2.5 million by Kentucky Select Properties. Parents were notified of the impending closure in September, Abell said. There are no plans to open a new Hayfield Montessori School.

Hayfield's enrollment decreased this year because the school could no longer serve students in first through fifth grade due to an elementary teacher resigning after the previous school year, Abell said. This year, 24 children aged 3-5 were enrolled in the school, the smallest enrollment in the school's history.

Abell's parents, Leo and Monique Denoncourt, opened Hayfield Montessori in 1967. Four of their children attended the school, including Abell, who went there from preschool through sixth grade. The school exercises the Montessori method, a hands-on approach which encourages children to learn at their own pace, according to the American Montessori Society.

Abell returned to the school as a teacher in 1994 before taking on administrative duties full-time in 2009. Her job description may be a bit longer than most principals, as she is also a bookkeeper, groundskeeper, substitute teacher and the one who emails parents about upcoming school events.

"I do many, many things and it's too much for me to do all that, so I am itching to scale back," Abell said. "I don't know what's next (for me). I need a couple of months to decide."

Abell declined to say when the last day of school is. She said Hayfield Montessori only shares its academic calendar with the families of children enrolled "for the kids' safety."

Looking back at her time at Hayfield, Abell said the school's staff deserves praise.

"We have some of the most dedicated, loving teachers," she said. "They're like family and have played a really big part in our lives."

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Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@courierjournal.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Hayfield Montessori School in Louisville closing after 57 years