Montverde Academy is a private college preparatory PK–12 school in Montverde, Florida, United States, located in the Greater Orlando area. The school is widely known for its athletic programs, particularly soccer and basketball.

History

The school was founded in 1912 as Montgomery Industrial School. The school president was Henry P. Carpenter. It underwent a major expansion in 1921, when two new buildings were built for a cost of almost $40,000, including a concrete block dormitory for 200 boys and a new dining hall. The expansion was funded by donations, including $11,000 from R. Jay Arnold of Groveland, Florida. This expansion brought the organization to a total of eight buildings on 200 acres and $150,000 worth of equipment. An observation tower above the new dormitory provided a view of Lake Apopka, Winter Garden, and Groveland. The dining facilities served 400 children. In the 1920s, sports teams were established. The teams were nicknamed The Crackers. In 1930, a girls' dormitory was constructed with funds raised by the D.A.R.

Demographics

There were 1,188 K-12 students enrolled in 2015–2016 as the information is not compiled for Pre-K students. The breakdown was:

Athletic programs

Montverde's athletic programs compete on a national level, rather than as a member of the Florida High School Athletic Association. Sports offered include baseball, basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, lacrosse, powerlifting, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. In 2017, USA Today named Montverde Academy the best basketball program of the decade.

Theatre and Music Conservatory

Montverde Academy has both music, and theatre conservatories. Auditions are held on an annual basis. Conservatory students split the academic day between core courses, and their chosen artistic discipline.

Controversies

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Kasey Kesselring, Montverde's Headmaster until his retirement in 2022, violated the Horse Protection Act, which resulted in a temporary disqualification from participating in equine events and a fine of $2,500. In May 2017, Essence and Fox 35 Orlando reported on a 16-year-old Black female student who was dress-coded for her dreadlocks which the administrator claimed were against school policy. Following the media coverage, the current headmaster Kasey Kesselring affirmed that the student handbook would be altered to remove the "dread lock" policy and that the rule was no longer in place. In May 2019, several Florida news stations published a story accusing Montverde Academy Dean of Students, Jerry Matos, of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female upper school student. It remains unclear if she was a minor. Matos stepped down from his position immediately. The terms of his departure and current legal status are unknown. The academy promoted an existing employee to fulfill Matos's responsibilities.

Notable alumni