In 2002, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) adopted a policy committing itself to develop all schools in the district as community learning centers. In Pleasant Ridge, one of Cincinnati's most racially and socio-economically diverse neighborhoods, the community set itself to the task of rebuilding what had been a failing school that reflected little of the neighborhood's diversity. After-school programming to provide extracurricular opportunities emerged as a top priority, as did health and wellness services. Another priority was the development of the Pleasant Ridge school facility as an environmentally sound and sustainable "green" building. Yet, despite the promise of an environmentally cutting-edge school and partnerships ranging from the YMCA to various health providers, all of this was not sufficient to attract new families to the school. And so, just as the environmental enthusiasts were leading a grassroots effort to dramatically change the plans for the physical facility, a group of young parents became involved in challenging the academic program. This group, mostly parents of infants and toddlers, asked themselves, "What would it take for us to send our children to this new school?" Their collective answer was a conversion to a Montessori program.