Montague Area Public Schools

Montague Area Public Schools
Address
4882 Stanton Boulevard[1]
Montague
, Muskegon County, Michigan, 49437
United States
District information
MottoEducation in the right direction.[1]
GradesPre-Kindergarten-12
SuperintendentJeffrey W. Johnson[2]
Schools4[3]
Budget$21,512,000 2021-2022 expenditures[3]
NCES District ID2624180[3]
Students and staff
Students1,371 (2023-2024)[3]
Teachers76.3 (on an FTE basis) (2023-2024)[3]
Staff170.11 FTE (2023-2024)[3]
Student–teacher ratio17.97 (2023-2024)[3]
Other information
Websitewww.mapsk12.org

Montague Area Public Schools is a public school district in West Michigan. In Muskegon County, it serves Montague, Montague Township, and White River Township.[4] In Oceana County, it serves part of Rothbury and parts of the townships of Claybanks, Grant, and Otto.[5]

History

The first school within the district's boundaries was the Mouth School, established in 1849 close to the shore of Lake Michigan near the mouth of White Lake. A succession of wooden buildings were constructed (many of them burned) until a modern brick school was built in 1957. It housed all grades up to eight until 1967, when the Mouth school district consolidated with Montague's school district.[6] It then became an elementary school. In 1981, the district voted to close the school[7] and it was sold in 1988.[8]

Oehrli Elementary was built in 1921[9] as the Montague district's only school. It replaced an older central school, built in 1875 on the same site,[10] which burned on November 12, 1919. It was named after Raymond Robert “Jack” Oehrli, a long-serving district superintendent, in 1985.[11]

The current high school opened in fall 1956.[12]

Besides the Mouth school district consolidation, the district also consolidated with the Rothbury district around the same time.[7] In fall 1968, the district was reported to have 1,950 students across five buildings: the high school, middle school, and Oehrli Elementary, Mouth Elementary, and Rothbury Elementary.[13] In 1981, a time of financial hardship for the district, the school board voted to close Mouth and Rothbury Elementaries.[7]

Montague Area Early Childhood Center opened in fall 2011.[14][15] Voters approved a $12.73 million bond issue for additions and improvements to facilities in 2022.[16]

Schools

Schools in Montague Area Public Schools[1][3]
School Address Notes
Montague High School 4900 Stanton Blvd., Montague Grades 9–12. Built 1956.[12]
Nellie B. Chisholm Middle School 4700 Stanton Blvd., Montague Grades 6–8
R.R. Oehrli Elementary School 4859 Knudsen Street, Montague Grades 1–5. Built 1921.[9]
Montague Area Childhood Center 9151 Dicey St., Montague Grades PreK-K. Built 2011.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Montague Area Public Schools. "Montague Area Public Schools". Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  2. ^ Montague Area Public Schools. "Superintendent". Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Montague Area Public Schools". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences.
  4. ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Muskegon County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  5. ^ Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget. "Oceana County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  6. ^ "Echoes of History - Getting to school at the Mouth". White Lake Mirror (Mears, Mich.).
  7. ^ a b c Burns, Robert (September 6, 1982). "Debate rages on Montague school vote". Muskegon Chronicle. p. B1.
  8. ^ Aardema, Barb (September 16, 1988). "Mouth School bought by citizens". Muskegon Chronicle. p. 2B.
  9. ^ a b "Montague faces millage election". Muskegon Chronicle. April 5, 1967. p. 10.
  10. ^ Editorial staff of Montague Township High School yearbook. The Reflector 1940 (Montague Township High School yearbook 1940). p. 3.
  11. ^ Bedau Brow, Barbara (February 20, 2025). "Echoes of History - Montague school building destroyed". White Lake Mirror (Mears, Mich.).
  12. ^ a b "Montague school open house draws crowd of 2,000". Muskegon Chronicle. August 29, 1956. p. 8.
  13. ^ "Guidance director, librarian to fill Montague High gaps". Muskegon Chronicle. August 14, 1968. p. 44.
  14. ^ a b Moore, Lynn (March 7, 2010). "Center to be built". Muskegon Chronicle. p. A9.
  15. ^ Alexander, Dave. "The future of business". Muskegon Chronicle. p. A4.
  16. ^ Michigan Department of Treasury. "STATE QUALIFIED SCHOOL BOND ELECTION RESULTS MUSKEGON COUNTY Montague Area Public Schools". Retrieved December 27, 2025.
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