Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Monte platform, including our mobile application and website (collectively, the “Service”), operated by Monte (“we,” “us,” or “our”).

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you are using the Service on behalf of a Montessori school, program, or organization (“School”), you represent that you have the authority to bind that School to these Terms.

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to create an account. Parents and guardians access the Service through an invitation from their child’s School.

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must provide accurate, current information when registering and keep it up to date.
• You must notify us immediately at support@heymonte.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

3.1 Schools

• Maintain an active subscription and designate authorized administrators.
• Ensure that all Guides and staff using the Service are trained on appropriate data-handling practices.
• Obtain any required parental consents for the collection and use of Child Data under COPPA and applicable state law.
• Manage which Parents have access to the Service and to specific child records.
• Comply with FERPA and other applicable education-privacy laws.

3.2 Guides (teachers & staff)

• Use the Service only for its intended educational purpose.
• Enter observations, photos, and records accurately and professionally.
• Respect the confidentiality of all child and family information.
• Do not share login credentials or allow unauthorized access.

3.3 Parents & guardians

• Use the Service to stay informed about your child’s Montessori experience.
• Respect the privacy of other children — do not share photos, observations, or information about other families’ children that may appear in group updates.
• Direct data-related requests (corrections, deletions) to your School or to us at privacy@heymonte.com.

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
• Upload content that is defamatory, obscene, threatening, or that infringes the rights of others.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Service.
• Use automated tools to scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service.
• Circumvent or interfere with any security features of the Service.
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation with a School.
• Upload malicious code, viruses, or any software intended to damage the Service.
• Use the Service to send unsolicited commercial communications.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules, with notice where practicable.

5.1 Your data belongs to you

Schools retain full ownership of all data they and their Guides upload to the Service, including observations, photos, developmental records, and communications (“School Data”). Monte does not claim ownership of School Data or Child Data.

5.2 License to provide the Service

By uploading content to Monte, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, display, and transmit that content solely as necessary to provide and improve the Service. This license ends when you or your School deletes the content or terminates the account.

5.3 Aggregated & anonymized data

We may create anonymized, aggregated datasets that cannot identify any individual child, family, or School. We may use such data to improve the Service, conduct research, or publish benchmarks. No individual can be re-identified from this data.

5.4 Monte’s intellectual property

The Service — including its design, code, branding, and documentation — is owned by Monte and protected by intellectual-property laws. Your use of the Service does not grant you any ownership rights in our platform. You may not copy, modify, or distribute any part of the Service without our written permission.

Our Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect personal information. By using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

Monte acts as a data processor on behalf of Schools (the data controllers). We process personal information only as directed by Schools and in accordance with our Data Processing Agreement, which is available upon request.

We comply with COPPA, FERPA, and applicable state student-privacy laws. We will never sell personal information or use Child Data for advertising.

• Monte is offered on a subscription basis. Pricing details are provided during enrollment and on our website.
• Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle (monthly or annual) unless cancelled before the renewal date.
• All fees are stated in US dollars and are exclusive of applicable taxes.
• Payments are processed through our third-party payment provider. You authorize recurring charges for each billing cycle.
• If payment fails, we will notify you and provide a reasonable grace period before suspending access.
• Fees are generally non-refundable. If you believe a charge is incorrect, contact support@heymonte.com within 30 days.

We believe your data should be easy to take with you. Schools may export their data at any time using our self-service export tools, which provide data in standard, machine-readable formats.

Upon account termination, Schools have a 30-day window to export their data. After this period, data is permanently deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

9.1 By you

Schools may cancel their subscription at any time through account settings or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Parents may deactivate their accounts at any time.

9.2 By us

We may suspend or terminate your access if you materially breach these Terms. Where possible, we will provide at least 15 days’ notice and an opportunity to cure the breach before termination. We may terminate immediately in cases involving illegal activity, threats to the security of the Service, or harm to other users.

9.3 Effect of termination

• Access to the Service ceases at the end of the notice/billing period.
• The 30-day data-export window begins on the termination date.
• Provisions that by their nature should survive (including sections 5, 10, 11, 12, and 13) will survive termination.

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

Monte is a communication and documentation tool. We do not provide educational services, childcare, or medical advice. We are not responsible for the quality of educational or childcare services provided by any School using Monte.

While we strive for high availability, we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation of the Service.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Monte’s total aggregate liability for any claims arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) $100.

In no event shall Monte be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of data, revenue, or profits, regardless of the theory of liability.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation of certain damages. In such cases, our liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by law.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Monte, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, or damages (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of:

• Your use of the Service in violation of these Terms.
• Content you upload to the Service.
• Your violation of any law or third-party rights.

This indemnification obligation does not apply to the extent that a claim arises from Monte’s own negligence or willful misconduct.

We hope to resolve any disputes informally first. If you have a concern, please email support@heymonte.com and we will work to address it promptly.

13.1 Binding arbitration

If we cannot resolve a dispute within 30 days of your initial notice, either party may elect to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. Arbitration will be conducted on an individual basis — class actions and class arbitrations are not permitted.

13.2 Opt-out

You may opt out of the arbitration provision by sending written notice to legal@heymonte.com within 30 days of creating your account. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in [State], and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

13.3 Small claims exception

Either party may bring an individual action in small claims court if the dispute qualifies.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice in the Service at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

• Entire agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Monte regarding the Service.
• Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.
• No waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
• Assignment. You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
• Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [State], without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Questions about these Terms? Reach out:

• Email: support@heymonte.com
• Mail: Monte, Attn: Legal, [Address]