Two licensed centers on opposite sides of Frisco, about twenty minutes apart, and very different in size and in what they publish. Bright Star Montessori is a 55-capacity center on Independence Parkway in east Frisco, licensed for toddlers through school age (not infants), 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM on its state record, on a Full Permit since October 2018, with a one-page website that describes "a play-based approach," no menu, no tuition, and no program detail, a 5.0 Google rating from 12 reviews, and a five-year state record of 15 deficiencies across 3,850 standards: two naptime-supervision findings, playground and fire-inspection items, repeated policy paperwork, no injuries, no penalties, and almost no staff turnover. Creative Minds Montessori is a 226-capacity independent school in West Frisco, six weeks through kindergarten entry, certified Montessori guides in mixed-age rooms with a Waldorf-inspired arts thread, an organic menu, all-day parent cameras, infant teachers who have been here since the school opened, and a state record of 26 deficiencies across 3,942 standards, which we walk through below. If you want a very small center with a short day and, on the record, the same staff year after year, Bright Star is worth a visit. If you want an infant program, a Montessori classroom in the full sense, a daily playground, and a room you can watch from your phone, that is what we are.
East Frisco and West Frisco
Bright Star Montessori is at 12550 Independence Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75035, on the east side of town; its website says it is "Next to Hanuman Temple," and its state record refers to the building it operates in as a church. Creative Minds Montessori is at 5115 Warren Parkway, behind Dua Trattoria at Legacy Drive and Warren Parkway, in West Frisco 75034. They are about twenty minutes apart depending on traffic.
Both have Montessori in the name, but only one of the two websites describes the method. Bright Star's says it uses "a play-based approach that encourages exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking," that its teachers are "trained in child development and early childhood education," and that it provides "a nurturing, safe, and inclusive environment"; it does not mention Montessori materials, a work period, mixed-age rooms, or Montessori-trained teachers. That is not a criticism, since a play-based preschool is a legitimate thing to be, but the name should be a question on your tour rather than an assumption.
At a glance
| Bright Star Montessori | Creative Minds Montessori | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 12550 Independence Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75035-3658 ("Next to Hanuman Temple," per its website) | 5115 Warren Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034-6289 (behind Dua Trattoria, Legacy Dr & Warren Pkwy) |
| Phone / website | (551) 221-1397; brightstarmontessorifrisco.com (one page; copyright 2024) | (972) 338-4304; creativemindsmontessori.com |
| Texas state license | Licensed Center – Child Care Program, Full Permit since October 4, 2018, no conditions; Texas HHS Operation No. 1673394; operates in a church building (state record) | Licensed Center – Child Care Program, Full Permit since April 21, 2016, no conditions; Operation No. 1597616 (listed as "Creative Minds") |
| Leadership | Gayathri Ramamurthy, Administrator/Director on the state record; the website lists a director's first name and phone | Director and a team of certified guides; see our Our Team page |
| Hours | 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM (state record); the website says 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Mon–Fri (up to 10 hours of care; arrive by 9:00 AM) |
| Ages served | Licensed for Toddler, Pre-Kindergarten and School; not licensed for infants; the website does not state ages | 6 weeks through kindergarten entry (Pre-K II / Transitional Kindergarten) |
| Licensed capacity | 55 children | 226 children; classrooms kept small by design |
| Services on the state record | Skill classes; meals and snacks are not listed | Meals and snacks; skill classes; part-time care; field trips; no transportation |
| Educational approach | "A play-based approach that encourages exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking" (website); Montessori method not described | Montessori: prepared environment, self-chosen work, mixed-age rooms, with a Waldorf-inspired arts, music, and nature thread |
| Outdoor play | State record, June 2024: "The operation is no longer using the outdoor play area"; an outdoor play plan was filed October 2024 (see below) | Fenced playground daily; gardening |
| Meals and cameras | Not on the state record and not described on the website; ask whether lunch is packed | Breakfast, lunch, two snacks; organic milk and vegetables, no added sugar; nut-free. Cameras in every classroom, $25 per child per month |
| Tuition transparency | Not published | Rates from the Director; $150 registration, $150 supply fee each March and September, 10% sibling discount, $150 referral credit |
| Google rating | 5.0 stars (12 reviews), September 22, 2026 | See our Testimonials page and our Google listing |
Sources: each school's website and Texas HHS record, and Bright Star's Google listing, September 22, 2026. Details change — confirm on your tour.
What kind of school each one is
Bright Star Montessori: a 55-child center in a church building, toddlers through school age
The state licensed Bright Star as a child-care center on October 4, 2018, with a capacity of 55 and no conditions. It may serve toddlers, pre-kindergarten and school-age children; it is not licensed for infants. Its hours on the record are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, though its website gives 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, so ask which is current. The only program on the record is "skill classes"; meals, transportation and school pick-up are not listed. The record places the school in a church building: a 2024 fire-inspection note says "The church had a failed inspection," and a June 2024 note says the outdoor play area was given up "due to church expansion and the cost of loose fill."
The website is a single page: the philosophy quoted above, a photo gallery, a contact form, the address, hours and a phone number. It does not state ages, programs, class sizes, a menu, tuition, cameras, enrichment, or when the school opened. Third-party directories mention activity classes, but we have not used them, because they are not the school's own words.
Two things on the state record stand out in Bright Star's favor and deserve saying first. The state counts almost no staff departures: 0 in 2025, 0 in 2024, 1 in 2023, 1 in 2022, 0 in 2021, 2 in 2020. For a small center that is a remarkable line, and it matters, because tenure is what parents feel every morning. And the most recent full inspection, June 12, 2026, evaluated 612 standards and found nothing to cite.
Creative Minds Montessori: one school, one philosophy, ten-plus years of the same faces
Creative Minds is a single independent school serving six weeks through kindergarten entry. Rooms are mixed-age on purpose, the guide presents one lesson to one child while the rest of the room works on things they chose, and the materials are the classic ones: pink tower, sandpaper letters, movable alphabet, golden beads. Layered over that is what we call the Waldorf touch: a weekly music class, process art with natural materials, rhythm and storytelling. Both infant teachers have been with the school since it opened more than ten years ago, the youngest rooms are kept smallest, and the Director personally approves every move up. The daily-life choices are ones you can verify: organic milk and vegetables, no added raw sugar, a nut-free building, no screen time under two, a fenced playground used daily, and a camera in every classroom that parents can watch all day. Our Curriculum and Our School pages cover the rest.
Curriculum and daily life, compared
Most of Bright Star's cells say "not stated," because its website is a single page. Treat each one as a tour question, not a verdict.
| Dimension | Bright Star Montessori | Creative Minds Montessori |
|---|---|---|
| Who directs the learning | "Play-based approach" (website); Montessori materials and work period not described | Montessori: child-chosen work; the guide presents individual lessons and observes |
| Teacher credentials | "Trained in child development and early childhood education" (website); Montessori training not mentioned | Certified Montessori guides; the infant leads have been here since opening |
| Starting age | Toddler (not licensed for infants) | 6 weeks |
| Outdoor play | Play area given up June 2024 per the state record; written outdoor play plan filed October 2024; ask where children play outside now | Fenced playground daily; gardening |
| Screens, rest, potty training, discipline | Not stated | No screens under two; rest from 12 months, sleep never required; potty training never punished; positive guidance with published limits |
| Communication | Not stated | Daily email with photos; conferences each November/December; all-day cameras |
An honest note. A center of 55 with one or two departures a year can offer something a 226-capacity school has to work hard for: every adult knows every child. Ask Bright Star how many children are enrolled today and in how many rooms; the answer may be the best thing about it. On our side, the differences are specific: we take infants, we publish our food, screen, rest and discipline rules so you can hold us to them, we have a playground the children use every day, and you can watch the room from your desk.
What the state's five-year records show, side by side
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission publishes every licensed center's five-year compliance history in its public Child Care Search. We read both pages on September 22, 2026. Read ours as critically as theirs.
| Five-year state record | Bright Star Montessori (state page) | Creative Minds Montessori (state page) |
|---|---|---|
| Permit | Full Permit since October 4, 2018; no conditions | Full Permit since April 21, 2016; no conditions |
| Injuries (serious / related to a standards violation) | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 |
| Employees who left, by year | 2025: 0 · 2024: 0 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 0 · 2020: 2 | 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 22 |
| Activity, last 60 months | 10 inspection visits listed · 0 self-reported incidents · 0 complaint investigations | 14 inspections · 3 self-reported incidents (filed by us) · 4 investigations |
| Deficiencies / standards evaluated | 15 / 3,850 (4 High, 4 Medium High, 7 Medium) | 26 / 3,942 (7 High, 12 Medium High, 6 Medium, 1 Medium Low) |
| Deficiencies by year | 2022: 1 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 0 | 2021: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 7 |
| Most recent full inspection | June 12, 2026: 612 of 612 compliant | May 12, 2026: 657 of 660; latest visit July 21, 2026, 1 of 1 |
| Penalties / corrective or adverse action | 0 / No / No | 0 / No / No |
What Bright Star's fifteen deficiencies were, grouped by what they concern, in the state's words.
- Supervision (2, both rated High). August 4, 2023: "Children in care were being supervised by director's 12-year-old daughter during naptime in a classroom." July 14, 2025: "children that were napping were left unattended in a room. It was also observed that a non-staff member was supervising children during naptime." Each follow-up found children "properly supervised during naptime by staff only" (verified September 1, 2023 and August 1, 2025). These are the two findings that concern children directly, and the fact that the same issue was cited twice, two years apart, is the most important thing to ask about on a tour.
- Admission records (3: 2 High, 1 Medium, all August 4, 2023). One child's file lacked a parent signature consenting to emergency medical care; one lacked release information; three lacked emergency-facility information. All added by the September 1, 2023 follow-up.
- Written operational policies (5, all Medium). The physical-activity policy was cited as missing on August 9, 2022, again on August 4, 2023, and re-cited September 1, 2023; the inclusive-services policy was cited August 4, 2023 and re-cited September 1, 2023. Both added by early October 2023.
- Fire inspection (2, Medium High). May 30, 2024: no documentation of a recent fire inspection (a June 27, 2023 inspection was then produced). August 16, 2024: "Documentation of a current fire inspection needs to be provided," with the note "The church had a failed inspection on 10/21" and a new inspection scheduled for November 8; verified October 31, 2024.
- Playground surfacing (2, Medium High). May 30, 2024: "The operation's play area doesn't have the required loose fill to prevent injuries." June 12, 2024: "The operation will not be using the outdoor play area due to church expansion and the cost of loose fill," closed with "The operation is no longer using the outdoor play area."
- Outdoor play plan (1, Medium). August 16, 2024: "A detail outdoor play/safety plan needs to be provided and two opportunities need to be listed for outdoor play," provided by October 31, 2024.
How to read that. Eight of the fifteen came from one August 2023 inspection and its follow-up, and five are the same two policy documents cited repeatedly. The 2024 items describe a school losing its playground to its landlord's expansion and having to document where children play instead, which is worth seeing with your own eyes. The two supervision findings are the ones we would weigh most, and the state's follow-ups found them corrected. Since July 2025 the record is clean, and the staff-departure line is the best of any school we have compared.
Our own record is the one we want you to read hardest. Twenty-six deficiencies across 3,942 standards is more than Bright Star's, and most of them are paperwork we should have had in order and many of which we reported ourselves. Each finding was verified corrected by the state. The three self-reported incidents on our record are incidents we reported to the state ourselves, because we would rather have a mark on the page than a secret in the building. Zero injuries in five years and 5 and 7 staff departures in the last two years are the numbers we are proudest of. Bright Star's 2025 departure count is lower than ours, which we note with respect. The details are on our state page linked above, and we would rather you read them there than take our summary.
Cost and fees
Bright Star publishes nothing about tuition, fees, or what is included; its state record does not list meals, so ask whether lunch is packed and whether there is a registration or supply fee. Creative Minds publishes its fees: $150 registration per child, a $150 supply fee each March 1 and September 1, a $25-per-child monthly camera fee, a 10% sibling discount on the older sibling, and a $150 credit per referred family who stays 90 days; meals, snacks, music class and materials are included, and monthly rates by age come from the Director in writing on the tour. See our Admissions page and our guide to what childcare really costs.
What parents say
Bright Star Montessori's Google listing shows a 5.0-star rating across 12 reviews as of September 22, 2026. We did not collect or read the individual reviews for this article, so we have no pattern to report, positive or critical, and we will not characterize what we have not read; a perfect score from twelve reviewers is a good sign and a small sample, both at once. Look up "Bright Star Montessori Frisco Texas" on Google and read every review, most recent first; individual reviews are unverified parent opinion at any school. Our own reviews are on our Testimonials page and on Google; ask us about any of them on the tour.
Which school fits which family
Bright Star Montessori is probably the better fit if…
- You want a very small center, licensed for 55, where the state has counted two staff departures in the last four years combined.
- Your child is a toddler or older and you do not need infant care.
- An 8:00 or 9:00 start and a 5:00 or 5:30 finish fits your day, and you are happy to pack lunch if meals are not provided.
- You live or work in east Frisco near Independence Parkway, and you prefer a play-based preschool to a formal Montessori classroom.
Creative Minds Montessori is probably the better fit if…
- You have a baby, or you want your infant with the same two caregivers who have been here for a decade.
- You want a Montessori classroom in the full sense, with certified guides, mixed-age rooms and the materials on the shelves, plus a Waldorf-inspired arts thread.
- You want to watch your child's room from your phone, walk in unannounced, and see a playground used every day.
- Organic food, no added sugar, and a published screen, rest and discipline policy matter to you enough to see them in writing.
- You need a 7:00 AM start, and you are fine with changing schools at kindergarten.
Ten questions to ask on both tours
- "How many children are enrolled today, in how many rooms, with how many adults?" Not the maximum, the actual number.
- "Who is in the room during nap, and is everyone who supervises children an employee with a background check?" Bright Star's record makes this fair; ask us too.
- "How long have the teachers in that room been here?" Bright Star's departure line is excellent; make them tell it room by room.
- "Where do the children play outside, and how often?" At Bright Star, ask what replaced the playground after 2024; at ours, walk it.
- "What does 'Montessori' mean here, and who was trained in it?" Ask to watch a lesson presented.
- "What did the children eat yesterday, and who provided it?"
- "Can I see my child's day, and how?" Cameras, photos, a daily note, or an open door.
- "What is my all-in monthly cost, including every fee?" In writing.
- "What happens when a child says 'I can't do it'?" See our guide to choosing a whole-child program.
- "May I come back on a normal morning?" The tone of the answer tells you nearly everything.
For the longer checklist, see How to Choose a Daycare You Actually Trust.
The bottom line
Bright Star Montessori is a very small licensed center in east Frisco for toddlers through school age, with a short day, a website that says little, a perfect Google score from twelve reviewers, a state record whose fifteen findings cluster in 2023 and 2024 and include two naptime-supervision citations that were corrected and a lost playground, and, on the other side of the ledger, the lowest staff turnover of any school we have compared and a clean 2026 inspection. Creative Minds Montessori is a larger independent Montessori school in West Frisco, six weeks through kindergarten, with certified guides, published policies, a daily playground, all-day cameras, and a state record that is longer than Bright Star's and includes findings we have set out rather than hidden. Those are different products, and a family can be right to choose either. Tour both with the questions above. To start with us, book a 40-minute weekday tour, call (972) 338-4304, or email director@creativemindsfrisco.com. Bright Star takes enquiries through its website form or at (551) 221-1397.
Quick answers
How far apart are the two schools?
About twenty minutes. Bright Star Montessori is at 12550 Independence Pkwy in east Frisco (75035), next to the Hanuman Temple; Creative Minds is at 5115 Warren Parkway in West Frisco (75034), behind Dua Trattoria at Legacy and Warren.
Is Bright Star Montessori a licensed center?
Yes. Texas HHS lists "Bright Star Montessori," a Licensed Center – Child Care Program with a Full Permit since October 4, 2018, Operation No. 1673394, licensed capacity 55, for toddlers, pre-kindergarten and school-age children. It is not licensed for infants.
What are Bright Star's hours?
8:00 AM to 5:30 PM on its state record; its website says 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Ask which is current. Creative Minds is 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday.
Is Bright Star really Montessori?
Its website describes "a play-based approach" and teachers "trained in child development and early childhood education"; it does not mention Montessori materials, mixed-age rooms or Montessori-trained teachers. Ask on the tour. Creative Minds uses certified Montessori guides in mixed-age classrooms with the classic materials and a Waldorf-inspired arts thread.
What does the Texas licensing record show for Bright Star?
Over five years: 15 deficiencies across 3,850 standards (4 High, 4 Medium High, 7 Medium): two naptime-supervision findings (August 2023 and July 2025, each corrected), three admission-form items and five written-policy items in 2022–2023, two fire-inspection documentation items and two playground-surfacing items in 2024, and one outdoor-play-plan item; 0 injuries; 0 penalties; 0 complaint investigations; staff departures of 0, 0, 1, 1, 0 and 2 from 2025 back to 2020; the June 12, 2026 inspection found 612 of 612 standards compliant.
What does the record show for Creative Minds?
Creative Minds shows 26 deficiencies across 3,942 standards, including three supervision findings (2022, 2023 and a self-reported one in June 2026), all verified corrected, plus 3 self-reported incidents, zero injuries in the same years.
Does Bright Star have a playground?
Its state record from June 2024 says "The operation is no longer using the outdoor play area" after the surrounding church's expansion, and an outdoor play and safety plan was filed in October 2024. Ask where and how often children play outside now. Creative Minds has a fenced playground used daily.
Does either publish tuition or provide meals?
Bright Star publishes no tuition and its state record does not list meals. Creative Minds provides breakfast, lunch and two snacks and publishes its fees ($150 registration, $150 supply fee each March and September, $25 monthly camera fee, 10% sibling discount); monthly rates come from the Director.
What is Bright Star's Google rating?
5.0 stars across 12 reviews as of September 22, 2026. We did not read the individual reviews; read them yourself, most recent first, as unverified parent opinion.
Keep reading
- How to Choose a Daycare You Actually Trust — the full checklist, the unannounced-visit test, and real red flags.
- Alpha Montessori Frisco vs. Creative Minds Montessori, Acepire Montessori vs. Creative Minds Montessori, Primrose School of Lakehill vs. Creative Minds Montessori and Kids 'R' Kids Legacy West vs. Creative Minds Montessori — our other Frisco comparisons, same method.
- What Should Parents Look For? Choosing a Whole-Child Program — eight questions that reveal a program's beliefs.
- How Much Does Childcare Cost — FSAs, tax credits, and why continuity beats the cheapest slot.
- Our Curriculum and Our Nutrition Program — see the claims in this article for yourself.
About this comparison: written by the teachers of Creative Minds Montessori, Frisco, TX, in September 2026. Facts about Bright Star Montessori come from its public website (brightstarmontessorifrisco.com, a single page, read September 22, 2026), from its Texas HHS Child Care Search record (permit, capacity, programs, hours, ages, administrator, and the full five-year inspection and compliance history, read the same day), and from the rating and review count on its Google listing read the same day; we did not read its individual reviews. Facts about Creative Minds come from our own website and our Texas HHS record. Quotations from the state record are reproduced as posted; the state's findings are the state's, not ours. If you are the owner or director of Bright Star Montessori and find an error, or want to add context, email director@creativemindsfrisco.com and we will correct or add it promptly and note the change. Nothing here is a substitute for your own tour of both schools. Our legal disclaimer applies.
← Back to Parent Resources