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Richard Montgomery High School

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Coordinates: 39°04′42″N 77°08′45″W / 39.078442°N 77.14583°W / 39.078442; -77.14583
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Richard Montgomery High School
Address
Map
250 Richard Montgomery Drive

Rockville
,
Maryland
20852

United States
Coordinates39°04′42″N 77°08′45″W / 39.078442°N 77.14583°W / 39.078442; -77.14583
Information
TypePublic (magnet) high school
Established1892; 132 years ago (1892)
School districtMontgomery County Public Schools
CEEB code210910
NCES School ID240048000902[1]
PrincipalAlicia Deeny
Teaching staff134.40 FTE (2022-23)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment2,390 (2022-23)[1]
Student to teacher ratio17.78[1]
Campus typeUrban[2]
Color(s)    Black and gold
MascotRockets
RivalRockville High School
NewspaperThe Tide
Websitemontgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/

Richard Montgomery High School (RMHS) is a public high school located in Rockville, Maryland. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools system. RMHS hosts the county's most competitive and far-reaching International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Aerial view in 2002

History

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Class in 1936

Richard Montgomery High School is the oldest public high school in Montgomery County. It was first established in 1892 as "Rockville High School", when the state Board of Education first allocated funds to local school to educate high school students. The first class of twelve seniors graduated in 1897.[3]

A new high school was constructed and opened for use in September 1905 on East Montgomery Avenue and Monroe Street. An addition was built in 1917, expanding the school to 19 classrooms. Rockville Colored High School was opened in 1927.[4] The school for white students was renamed Richard Montgomery High School (after a Major General Richard Montgomery, who had been a slave holder[5][6]) to distinguish between the two in 1935.[7]

After a fire destroyed the old high school building in 1940, the building was rebuilt on the current site in 1942, measuring 49,167 sq ft (4,567.8 m2). Additions to the school were made in 1952 at 39,895 sq ft (3,706.4 m2), 1959 at 37,425 sq ft (3,476.9 m2), in 1964 at 56,703 sq ft (5,267.9 m2), 1969 at 4,000 sq ft (370 m2), 1975 at 35,890 sq ft (3,334 m2), 1976 at 8,300 sq ft (770 m2), and 1988 at 1,938 sq ft (180.0 m2). By this point, the campus had reached 26.2 acres (106,000 m²) in size.[8][9]

In April 2008 stories appeared in The Washington Post,[10] the Montgomery County Gazette,[11] and the Montgomery Sentinel,[12] alleging that the school principal, Moreno Carrasco, had been running a private business on school time and was using materials that appeared to be plagiarized from a seminar that he had attended at school district expense. Carrasco went on extended sick leave.

During Carrasco's absence, the student newspaper, The Tide, requested that administrators approve publication of an article about the investigation into Carrasco's alleged ethics violations and business endeavors. Assistant Principal Veronica McCall denied permission for publication of the article, but was overridden by Community Superintendent Dr. Sherry Liebes after The Tide editors announced that they would go public with news of the denial.[13] The article was finally published online on April 24, 2008.[14]

On June 10, 2008, Montgomery County Public Schools announced that Carrasco had been named the new director of secondary leadership training. The announcement also stated that the allegations about Carrasco's involvement in private consulting were "thoroughly investigated" and "not substantiated".[15]

On June 23, 2008, Nelson McLeod II was named the new principal of Richard Montgomery High School.[16] He left the position in May 2014 due to a cardiac medical condition,[17] and was replaced by Damon Monteleone in July 2014.[18]

In 2020, a petition was started to rename the school due to its namesake, Richard Montgomery, being a slave owner.[19]

Campus

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Richard Montgomery opened a new $71 million building following the end of students' 2007 winter break. The new building features wireless internet for the teachers which has since been opened to student access, LCD projectors in every classroom, dozens of Promethean interactive whiteboards and learner response devices, a modern auditorium, and a recording and TV studio.[citation needed]

The school has an artificial turf stadium next to tennis courts and a track.

Areas Served

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Richard Montgomery serves students living in Rockville and a small portion in Potomac. It feeds from one middle school and five elementary schools:[20]

  • Julius West Middle School
    • Beall Elementary School
    • College Gardens Elementary School
    • Ritchie Park Elementary School
    • Bayard Rustin Elementary School
    • Twinbrook Elementary Schol

Potential Future Boundary Changes

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As of the 2023-24 school year, RMHS projects to be over-enrolled for the next 15 years with its current attendance zones.[20] To address these concerns, along with overutilization among other nearby schools, the county is conducting a boundary study for the new Crown High School,[21] which has an expected completion date of August 2027.[20]

Academics

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The school houses Montgomery County's first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB). This competitive-entry magnet programme draws students from all over Montgomery County and has an IB diploma rate of 97%, the highest of its kind in the United States.[8] The IB programme has an approximately 12.5% acceptance rate for incoming freshmen. Entry is based middle school transcripts, and a personal essay.[22]

Incoming freshmen who have been accepted into the IB programme are first enrolled in a special two-year programme consisting of courses designed to prepare them for more rigorous IB courses they will take in their junior and senior years.[23] This also serves as a continuation of the final two years of the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The first three years of the MYP programme are offered to all students who attend Julius West Middle School, which is the sole middle school that feeds into RM.[24] The MYP curriculum stresses "life long learning," "critical thinking," and "responsible global citizenship." It is a five-year programme designed for students in grades 6–10, and all Richard Montgomery students participate regardless of whether they are in the IB programme or whether they participated in middle school. Upon completion, non-IB students can apply to enroll in the IB programme. Students are accepted each year through this secondary application process for the IB programme.

In 2007, Richard Montgomery was featured in Newsweek magazine as the 27th highest-rated high school in the nation.[25] In June 2002, it won its first award in National Scholastic Championship at George Washington University. Richard Montgomery High School won the 2003 Blue Ribbon in Education Award by the United States Department of Education. RM has been identified as the number one school in the D.C. metropolitan area in the Challenge Index for Rigor. Richard Montgomery has also had multiple Marian Greenblatt Education Fund award winner teachers.[26]

As of 2024, Richard Montgomery is the 6th-ranked high school in Maryland and the 394th-ranked nationwide, according to U.S News and World Report.[27]

Richard Montgomery students average a score of 1236 on the SAT, averaging 621 on the verbal section and 615 on the math section.[28]

Activities

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Richard Montgomery has a student newspaper, The Tide,[29] and a student literary magazine, Fine Lines. The Tide received First Place with Special Merit from the America Scholastic Press Association in 2013.[30] Fine Lines has received various Gold Crown Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, including in 2003. [31]

Richard Montgomery's quizbowl team (known as It's Academic) won the National Scholastics Championship in 2002.[32] In 2006, they won the NAQT High School National Championship Tournament in Chicago.[33]

Richard Montgomery's International Space Settlement Design Competition team won the 2008 cycle in Houston, Texas.[34]

The Richard Montgomery Mock Trial team is the school's most decorated varsity team. Under longtime coach Daniel Evans, who retired in 2024, the team won twenty-six Montgomery County championships, reached fifteen statewide Final Fours, appeared in ten state finals, and won five state championships, most recently in 2019 and 2023. [35] The team's margin of victory in the 2019 championship was the largest in state history.[36]

Music ensembles

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Ensembles such as the Madrigals, a chamber choir, and the Jazz Band often travel off campus to perform at various venues. The Philharmonic/Chamber ensemble is the highest ranking orchestra in the school. The marching band, the Marching Rockets, is also a part of football season.

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Search for Public Schools - Richard Montgomery High (240048000902)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  2. ^ "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Richard Montgomery High".
  3. ^ "Richard Montgomery HS - HISTORY OF RICHARD MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL | Richard Montgomery HS". www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  4. ^ George Washington Carver High School Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "Richard Montgomery HS - HISTORY OF RICHARD MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL | Richard Montgomery HS". www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Saha, Joy (June 23, 2020). "Richard Montgomery High School students petition for name change". Montgomery Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  7. ^ History of Richard Montgomery High School Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "America's Best High Schools: Top International Baccalaureate Schools". U.S. News & World Report. December 9, 2009. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009.
  9. ^ "Richard Montgomery High School". Archived from the original on October 17, 2005. Retrieved June 1, 2005.
  10. ^ de Vise, Daniel (April 10, 2008). "Principal's Side Business Raises Questions . ". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  11. ^ Melissa J. Brachfeld (April 16, 2008). "MCPS officials investigate possible ethics code violation". Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  12. ^ The Sentinel [dead link]
  13. ^ Melissa J. Brachfeld (April 23, 2008). "Students win right to write". Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  14. ^ The Tide Online- Richard Montgomery's Student Newspaper[permanent dead link]
  15. ^ "MCPS Public Announcements". June 10, 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  16. ^ Melissa J. Brachfeld (June 25, 2008). "New principal tapped for Richard Montgomery". Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  17. ^ "Richard Montgomery High School" (PDF). May 28, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  18. ^ "Montgomery County Public Schools" (PDF). July 1, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  19. ^ "Petition started to rename Richard Montgomery High School". June 19, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c Division of Capital Planning, Montgomery County Public Schools. Superintendent's Recommended FY 2025 Capital Budget and the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program - Chapter 4: Richard Montgomery Cluster. Accessed 3 June 2024.
  21. ^ Division of Capital Planning, Montgomery County Public Schools. Board of Education Adopted Boundary Study Scope - to Determine the Service Area for the new Crown and Expansion of Damascus HS - March 19, 2024. Accessed 4 June 2024
  22. ^ "The International Baccalaureate Magnet Diploma Program at Richard Montgomery High School" (PDF). Richard Montgomery High School. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  23. ^ "IB Magnet Course of Study at Richard Montgomery High School" (PDF). Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  24. ^ "Richard Montgomery HS - MYP | Richard Montgomery HS". www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  25. ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
  26. ^ "Winners". Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  27. ^ "Richard Montgomery High School". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  28. ^ Montgomery County Public Schools. Schools at a Glance - Richard Montgomery High School. Accessed 7 June 2024
  29. ^ The Tide Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  30. ^ American Scholastic Press Association Archived 2008-01-01 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  31. ^ "Local High School Publications Receive Awards". Montgomery County Public Schools. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  32. ^ 2002 PACE NSC Results Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  33. ^ National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC Archived 2017-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  34. ^ ISSDC: Previous Finalist Teams Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  35. ^ [1] Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  36. ^ https://www.msba.org/richard-montgomery-high-wins-mock-trial-championship/ Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  37. ^ "Will Allen". University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  38. ^ a b c d e "Richard Montgomery School Athletics Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 13, 2019.
  39. ^ Jacobs, Jay S. (2006). Pretty Good Years: A Biography of Tori Amos. Hal Leonard. p. 13.
  40. ^ Harrington, Richard (May 17, 1998). "Tori Amos, Local Legend". The Washington Post.
  41. ^ Forde Fisher, Tina (November 7, 1989). "For Bellingham, It Has Been More Than a Stroke of Luck". Los Angeles Times.
  42. ^ a b Simms, Brandy L. (July 22, 2010). "RM's Mike Curtis should be in the Hall of Fame". Montgomery Sentinel. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  43. ^ a b c Driver, David (May 17, 2011). "Riggleman Remembers a Rockville Like a Rockwell". Rockville Patch.
  44. ^ "Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi on January 10, 1993 · Page 44". Newspapers.com. January 10, 1993. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  45. ^ Grove, Lloyd (February 23, 2000). "The Reliable Source". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  46. ^ "Local Athlete Scores Upset at Judo Nationals". The Washington Post. April 30, 2000.
  47. ^ Jaggar, Louisa (October 1, 2010). "Teens Coming Out". Bethesda Magazine.
  48. ^ "National Merit Scholarship Winners". The Washington Post. July 12, 2001. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  49. ^ Lemov, Penelope (June 8, 1978). "Fraternity Recognizes Black Youths". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  50. ^ "AY24 Faculty-Graduate Seminar: "Black Movement :: Black Stillness" ft. Kyra Gaunt (University at Albany)". Department of African American Studies. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  51. ^ Eileen Zhang; Sophia Taur (November 1, 2019). "Richard Montgomery High School RM athletes represent Team USA on national level". The Tide.
  52. ^ Broadway, Donna (November 20, 2014). "Korman finds realization of dream in latest election". The Sentinel.
  53. ^ "How Did I Get Here? - Thuan Pham". Bloomberg Businessweek. 2016.
  54. ^ "B-CC training leaders". Montgomery Gazette. February 19, 1997. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  55. ^ Mendlowitz, Andy (February 21, 1998). "Wreh can play basketball, but now he is on track". The Washington Post.
  56. ^ Meyer, Eugene L. (May–June 2011). "Touching Base with Jim Riggleman". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  57. ^ Steven Pearlstein; John Pomfret (May 27, 2000). "Mightier Than the Sword". The Washington Post. Slain Reuters war correspondent Kurt Schork graduated from Richard Montgomery High in Rockville. A May 26 Style article incorrectly reported what school he attended.
  58. ^ Marino, Melissa (April 5, 2004). "Biography of Joseph S. Takahashi". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 101 (15): 5336–5338. doi:10.1073/pnas.0401895101. PMC 399313. PMID 15067124.
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