A Shared Vision for Community: Pinyon Montessori and Arbor 515 Redefine Affordable Housing
- Wildflower Schools
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Inside a groundbreaking Salt Lake City housing initiative that helps low-income residents build wealth, Pinyon Montessori is showing how schools and communities can grow together.
When founding Teacher Leaders Margaret, Brandi, and Chip envisioned Pinyon Montessori, they knew they wanted to be in downtown Salt Lake City—close to the families they aimed to serve. Drawing on decades in Montessori classrooms, they had seen how cost limited access: private schools were exclusive, and charter models, though affordable, often compromised the depth and corresponding impact of authentic Montessori education. Their goal was simple — to bring socioeconomic diversity to a community-rooted Montessori school.
This dream came to life through Pinyon’s partnership with the GIV Group and its Perpetual Housing Fund, which transforms underused spaces into community assets. Their newest project, Arbor 515, is a former downtown office tower being converted into 96 affordable apartments for families earning 25–60% of the area’s median income. As the first apartment building in the country to partner with Community Housing of Utah, Arbor 515 offers opportunities for residents to invest in their short- and long-term financial health through The Tenant Wealth Initiative – a program that gives back to residents a share of what a developer would receive from the property, allowing renters to build equity as homeowners do.
But Arbor 515 is more than just innovative affordable housing. In addition to Pinyon Montessori, the building also houses Perpetual Housing Fund’s offices, nonprofits like United Way, and a growing network of mission-aligned community spaces, cafés and co-working areas designed to bring people together. It’s an ecosystem where families and communities live, work, connect, and learn.
When Pinyon connected with GIV through a former parent, it felt like a perfect match. “We were looking for them, and they were looking for us,” Brandi said. GIV’s commitment to affordability and community empowerment mirrored Pinyon’s vision for accessible, high-quality education.
The partnership itself is as creative as the space: Pinyon and GIV Group have a flexible rent-for-tuition agreement that enables some GIV families to attend the school. Pinyon already leverages public funding – such as the Utah Fits All Scholarship Education Savings Account – as part of a sustainable model. Together, the school and GIV are exploring ways to expand access even further by developing evolving scholarship and enrollment pathways that could serve more resident families.
For Pinyon, this collaboration has made their founding vision tangible—education and housing working hand in hand to create community and opportunity. The school now serves as a local model of how shared missions can bridge sectors and spark broader change.
“We’ve always felt that we’re a catalyst for change in Montessori for Utah,” Margaret reflected. “We hope others will see what’s possible and build on it.” Looking ahead, Pinyon’s founders plan to grow enrollment, expand access for younger children, and pay it forward – by investing in new leaders who can both continue to grow Pinyon’s vision of access and opportunity into the future and spread the model more broadly in Utah.
Just as Arbor 515 helps families build stability and independence, Pinyon Montessori helps children do the same—giving them the skills, confidence, and agency to take an active role in their future growth and flourishing.
Read more in KSL’s feature on the project.
To learn more about Pinyon Montessori—or to enroll—visit pinyonmontessori.org.
