Monument Valley High School
2022-2023 School Profile
Administration and Counseling Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
Ryan Dodson, Principal | 928-697-2103 | rdodson@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Malcolm Young, Assistant Principal | 928-697-2105 | myoung@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Clyde McBride, CTE Director | 928-697-2115 | Clyde.Mcbride@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Michell Todecheene, School Counselor | 928-697-2111 | Michell.Todecheene@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Marita Draper, School Counselor | 928-697-2110 | Marita.Draper@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Brian Bradley, School Counselor | 928-697-2109 | Brian.Bradley@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Fred Tagoai, Athletic Director | 928-697-2022 | Fred.Tagoai@kayenta.k12.az.us |
Community and School Information
The foundation for Monument Valley High School was laid many years ago in 1940. At that time, the public school hosted 26 students and was located in a one-room school house near the trading post. Kayenta Unified School District #27 currently consists of Kayenta Elementary School (grades K-4), Kayenta Middle School (grades 5-8), and Monument Valley High School (grades 9-12). Kayenta is a rural, American Indian community, centrally situated on the Navajo Nation in Northeastern Arizona. MVHS serves approximately 700 students drawn from the immediate community and surrounding areas. Every day the District buses in over half of the student body; some students travel as far as 60 miles one-way to come to school. Some of our students live in households without electricity or running water. Breakfast and lunch are served daily and over 80% of children are eligible for free or reduced meals. Of our 700 enrolled students, fewer than ten are non-native.
Job opportunities in and around Kayenta are quite limited, but some people are employed by Peabody Energy, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, the Navajo Nation Shopping Center, Kayenta Unified School District, the Indian Health Services clinic, an assortment of small local businesses, and some social service agencies. We are the first Indian Reservation community in the United States to become an incorporated township. Because of this, local governance is now shared by the township officials and the elected members of the local chapter of the Navajo Nation tribal government. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 34% of children in Navajo County live below the poverty level. In Kayenta, however, that rate may be higher, but reliable statistics for rural native communities are difficult to obtain. In Kayenta, there are satellite campuses for community colleges from nearby towns but when our children graduate from high school, most of them must leave their families on the reservation and move away to continue their education and find employment.
Accreditation
Monument Valley High School has been continuously accredited for over twenty years by North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). Our institution has been awarded Accredited status by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). The three listed regional agencies provide your institution with a highly regarded accreditation that is recognized throughout the world. This action was conferred by the Cognia Global Commission on March 31, 2025.
Scholarship Recipients
Monument Valley High School takes pride in the number of seniors earning academic scholarships.
Graduation Requirements for the Class of 2026:
Students need 22 credits to graduate along with a completion of the Educational Career Action Plan (ECAP) as required by the State of Arizona and they need to pass the Civics Test with a score of 70% or better.
English | 4 Credits |
Mathematics | 4 Credits |
Social Studies | 3 Credits |
Science | 3 Credits |
Fine Arts or Career Technical Education (CTE) | 1 Credit |
Electives | 6 Credits |
Grading and Ranking Procedures
Regular 4.0 Scale | Weighted 5.0 Scale | Weighted Courses | Weighted Courses |
|---|---|---|---|
A = 4 points | A = 5 points | English 9 Honors | NPC Dual Enrollment Courses |
B = 3 points | B = 4 points | English 10 Honors | AP Biology |
C = 2 points | C = 3 points | English 11 Honors | World History/ Geography Honors |
D = 1 points | D = 2 points | Algebra I Honors | US/AZ History Honors |
F = 0 points | F = 0 points | Geometry Honors | |
P = 0 points | P = 0 points | Algebra II Honors | |
I = 0 points | I = 0 points | Integrated Science Honors | |
Biology Honors | |||
Environmental Science Honors |
Academic Curriculum
The school offers a variety of programs in core academic areas (English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Fine Arts). Additionally, all students are required to take one credit of Navajo Language or Navajo Crafts as well as half credit of PE and Health in order to graduate. Rigorous honors level courses are offered in the core content areas. We offer open enrollment for AP courses for our interested and academically prepared students. Advanced Placement courses we offer include: AP Language and Composition and AP Biology.
College Attendance History
Because of financial considerations the majority of MVHS graduates attend in-state universities and community colleges. According to the placement survey conducted on the class of 2012:
43% of students continued their education beyond high school
22% of students went to work after high school
5% of students joined the military
20% of students stayed home