Montezuma Community School District
Student enrollment for PK-12th grade is 500 students. That number includes students from the Montezuma area as well as students who have open enrolled into the district.
Preschool Program
The school has a voluntary preschool program designed for four-year-olds. There are two ½ day sessions with each session limited to 20 children. The preschool program has been a very positive addition to the Montezuma School District, allowing students to be more prepared for kindergarten.
Academics
The elementary school has a wide variety of programs for elementary students. The entire elementary uses “The Daily Five” for literacy development. Montezuma elementary is proud of the fact that student test scores have continually ranked above average. Students who need additional classroom support attend the reading and math lab, Title I program, or special education programs. Students attend general music classes two or three times during the week, and concerts are held twice a year for the public to attend. Groups also perform for the local nursing homes. Band lessons are started in fifth-grade. Library skills, art, and physical education classes are also scheduled for students during the week. The Talented & Gifted program begins in 4th grade. In 2015, Montezuma Elementary was recognized as a model professional learning community. The school was one of only 200 schools in the US and Canada to receive this designation.
Secondary students have a comprehensive range of classes to choose from. The strength of the high school is in the core subjects of math, science, language arts and social studies. Montezuma also has a number of staff members who are certified to teach college-credit courses to students through the school’s Career Academy. Students ohave the opportunity to leave high school with numerous college credits
Montezuma High School has been awarded a Bronze rating by US News for academic performance. Montezuma was 1 of 104 schools in Iowa to receive the recognition, and only 1 of 2 schools in the immediate region. Students achieved a 96% success rating in math testing, and 88% success rating in reading scores.
Technology
The district offers more technology than ever and continues to keep up in the ever-changing world of technology at the same time. The building has a 200 MBPS Internet connection and is has uninterrupted wireless connectivity. There are computer labs available in the elementary school. Students in 6th-12th grade are provided their own Chromebook to use throughout the day. All classrooms are equipped with projection devices.
Athletics
The Montezuma Cross Country team had an individual qualify once again for the 2018 State Cross Country meet. The success was met on multiple levels with high conference finishes for the high school and junior high boys and girls teams.The Montezuma Braves and Bravettes enjoy the support of the entire community, competing in the South Iowa Cedar League and representing the school at state-level competition. Competitive athletic programs include football, boys’ and girls’ basketball, track and field, cross country, wrestling, volleyball, baseball, softball, golf and trap shooting. The district's coaching staff utilize athletics to instill the values of discipline, commitment and teamwork in the athletes. The Braves and Bravettes have enjoyed much success over the past five years and look to continue that trend:
- The Bravette volleyball team had a season to remember with their impressive 30-6 record, tournament conference championship and Montezuma’s first ever state tournament appearance.
- The Braves Boys Basketball had a tremendous year with a 22-3 season, a 15-0 SICL record and Conference Championship. It had been 29 years since the Braves had made it to the state tournament and they finished 4th Place in Class 1A.
- The Bravette Basketball team continued to improve under Coach Burgess. Their 22-3 season, a 15-0 SICL record and won a conference championship as well. The bravettes took another step forward at the state tournament reaching the semi-finals in Class 1A.
- The Montezuma Shooting Sports Club had a stellar 2018 season. The SASP team earned fifteen 1st place finishes, fifteen 2nd place finishes, and twenty-two 3rd place finishes at the State Championship competition held in June in Ankeny. During regular season competition, the SCTP team earned thirty-six 1st place finishes, twenty-four 2nd place finishes, and twenty-six 3rd place finishes. The SCTP season ended with the State Championship competition held in mid-June in Cedar Falls where one of our athletes earned the title of State Champion in the rookie division.
- The women’s track program had a great 2017/18 year winning their First Girls’ Conference Championship in school history. At State, the girls had four Top 10 finishes. The boys track team had a strong showing at state with four, Top 10 finishes as well. In 2018/19, women’s track also had two girls qualify for the Drake Relays while they break numerous school records as well.
Clubs and organizations
Montezuma Community School is home to strong drama, speech, vocal music, and instrumental music. One of the top FFA programs in the nation is right here in Montezuma. The local chapter consistently wins awards and honors on the state and national level. Students may choose to play an instrument in band, sing in the choir, participate in dance or cheer Montezuma athletic teams to victory. There are also numerous school clubs such as the Speech Club and Mat Club. Organizations include, FFA, Blue & White student newspaper, the school yearbook, Junior High Mock Trial and National Honors Society. We also have two strong booster clubs that support our Montezuma students, Blue & White Athletic Boosters and Fine Arts Boosters.
Additional Information regarding our school clubs, athletics and organizations can be found on the school website under Activities.