Located between Mound Street and Main Street, Montrose Elementary School is recognized for hosting a variety of events and fostering student success. Its role in shaping the futures of its students creates the strong sense of community that defines the school,
Principal Nyesha Clayton said she thinks Montrose is a community where everyone can play a role in creating a positive environment.
“My first year, Montrose was referenced by a parent as a warm hug,” she said. “Everybody knows each other and everyone is welcoming, which is what matters most.”
Montrose parent Quinn Armstrong said the school environment is friendly to all.
“It’s almost like a family,” she said. “Montrose has a diverse student population, and that’s important for kids to see.”
Former Montrose student and junior Sydney Holt said the inviting culture was a great environment to grow up in. She added it helped foster relationships as a kid.
“Everyone was always so connected there,” Holt said. “I made a lot of friends that I still have to this day.”
Armstrong said the staff makes an effort to inspire the students to be great in every way.
“They have our kids think outside of the box while pushing them to be their best, as well as encouraging them along the way,” she added.
Holt explained the teachers encouraged their students to interact with each other in various ways. This creates balanced students in the long run, she said.
“Each teacher was special in that they all had different ways of teaching,” Holt said. “They all had their unique and creative ways of engaging students and helping them put themselves out there.”
Senior Kamryn Brickerson said Montrose emphasized broad thinking, creativity and self-expression amongst students.
“It helped me create divergent ideas in high school, applying different ways of thinking to problems,” she said.
Clayton said once a month, Montrose holds assemblies to acknowledge students who demonstrate respect, responsibility and safety.
“We recognize those who are displaying those traits, and it’s always a surprise for them,” she said. “When students hear their peers’ names get called, they are truly excited for them.”
Third-grader Kelton Armstrong said the school’s motto is to be safe, respectful and responsible. He explained the whole community gets involved in demonstrating those ideals.
“We do Monty Cash donations to DARN, where the PTO turns Monty cash into real money,” he said. “One year our class raised more than $1,000 in donations.”
Brickerson said Montrose sparked her curiosity in many areas, and they let students try different things to find what they were interested in.
“I was introduced to art and music, which I really enjoy today, and their gym program got me into playing sports later,” she said. “I was also into theater when I was younger, since one of my teachers inspired his students to act in his class.”
Clayton said Montrose has incorporated leadership positions into their classrooms, such as grade buddies and Student Council representatives.
“Creating those leadership opportunities as early as kindergarten is huge, and they’ll never forget it,” she said.
Quinn said the school’s attention to all aspects of learning helps the students grow in various ways. Her children, who have all attended Montrose, have benefited from the curriculum, she added.
“The school has gone above and beyond what’s necessary for testing,” Quinn said. “[The students] have been given a unique perspective on learning.”
Published and digitized November 2025.
