Montrose Christian School was a private Christian school in North Bethesda, Maryland, with a Rockville postal address. It was formerly operated by the Montrose Baptist Church, Maryland's second largest Southern Baptist church. It educated around 370 students before its closure in 2013."Montrose Christian School", Great Schools, accessed 2 December 2007 Its first class graduated in 1986."History of Montrose Baptist Church" , accessed 2 November 2010
Early history The history of Montrose Christian School is intimately connected with its parent organization, Montrose Baptist Church. While Montrose Baptist Church had established a nursery school in 1968 and a daycare in 1971, it recognized an opportunity to further its evangelical mission through the development of a full-time day school. On April 30, 1977, Montrose Christian School was officially incorporated in Rockville, Maryland. Starting with an inaugural kindergarten class of five children, it quickly expanded the next year to include Grades 1-4. During each subsequent year, another grade or two was added until eventually in May 1986, it graduated its first class of High School students."History of Montrose Christian School" , accessed 2 November 2010
Athletics The school had been recognized for its athletic accomplishments, particularly for those of its basketball team, which had been successful at recruiting players across the United States and around the world to play in Rockville.Zengerle, Jason. "The Portable High-School Hoops Factory", The New York Times, February 6, 2000. Accessed December 1, 2007. Kevin Durant's transfer to the school led USA Today to name Montrose its preseason pick for the top spot on its Super 25 rankings of the top high school basketball teams in 2005-06.Aiken, Ben. "Adding 6-10 star boosts Montrose Christian", USA Today, November 14, 2005. Accessed December 1, 2007. "Durant's transfer pushed Montrose Christian to the top of USA TODAY's preseason Super 25 rankings."
The school had appeared regularly on USA Today'''s Super 25 national rankings, finishing the season ranked 25th in 2000-01,"Super 25 boys basketball rankings", USA Today, December 16, 2001. Accessed December 1, 2007. 9th in 2002-03,Final 2002-03 Super 25 boys' basketball rankings", USA Today, March 21, 2003. Accessed December 1, 2007. 19th in 2003-04,"Super 25 boys' basketball rankings", USA Today, March 30, 2004. Accessed December 1, 2007. 19th in 2005-06Lawlor, Christopher. "Final Super 25 boys' basketball rankings", USA Today, March 27, 2006. Accessed December 1, 2007. and 22nd in 2006-07.Lawlor, Christopher. "Super 25: Virginia's Oak Hill Academy finishes on top", USA Today. Accessed December 1, 2007.
Controversies
The school was embroiled in a lawsuit, in February 1997, involving three employees, represented by the ACLU, who said they were fired for not belonging to the school's parent church.Beadle, Andrew D. "Former employees sue Montrose Christian School" , Montgomery Gazette, February 5, 1997. Accessed December 1, 2007. "Three former employees of Montrose Christian School in Rockville are suing the school, claiming they were unfairly fired last year because they did not belong to the proper church." While a judge initially ruled in the favor of the dismissed employees, the decision was later overturned on appeal in 2001 based on the argument that "'for a religious corporation, association, or society to hire and employ employees of a particular religion,' is severable and valid." ''
Reverend Ray Hope, a.k.a. Dr. Otis Ray Hope, senior pastor at the Montrose Baptist Church, resigned in October 2002 after questioning by the church's governing council about his involvement with the Maryland International Students Association,"Church alleges tuition unpaid", Herald Mail, December 19, 2002 an organization that recruited foreign students attending Montrose Christian School."Pastor Resigns Amid Inquiry at Baptist Church In Rockville" , Washington Post, October 1, 2002 Officials for the school's parent church alleged that the recruiting organization had failed to reimburse the school for the cost of the students' education; that Rev. Ray Hope owed the church's school more than $580,000."Rockville Church Says Ex-Pastor Owes Money; Collection of School Fees Questioned", Washington Post, December 18, 2002
In February 2012 a female teacher at Montrose Christian School was arrested and charged with sexually abusing a student for a period of over one year.
Due to fiscal mismanagement, the school had suffered from financial difficulties in its later years and had 16 liens placed against its properties.
Notable alumni Justin Anderson (born 1993), professional basketball player Isaiah Armwood (born 1990), basketball player Miguel "Ali" Berdiel (born 1983), Puerto Rican professional basketball player Carmelo Betancourt (born 1993), basketball player Jarrell Brantley (born 1996), basketball player Jason Conley (born 1981), first freshman ever to lead NCAA Division I in scoring Kevin Durant (born 1988), professional basketball player for the Houston RocketsPicker, David. "In the N.B.A.'s Age Game, Colleges Are Big Winners", The New York Times, April 22, 2006. Accessed December 1, 2007. "Durant, a forward at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md., has heard the endless chatter about where he would have been selected in the N.B.A. draft in June." Tyrone Johnson (born 1992), professional basketball player.Carino, Jerry. "Plainfield’s Tyrone Johnson leaving Villanova. Cautionary tale?", New Jersey Hoops Haven, November 7, 2012. Accessed August 5, 2019. "Former Plainfield High School standout Tyrone Johnson is leaving Villanova, the school announced today.... Ty left Plainfield a year early for basketball factory Montrose Christian, supposedly to better position himself to make an immediate impact at Nova." Linas Kleiza (born 1985), professional basketball player K.J. Matsui (born 1985), played guard on the Columbia University basketball team, and was first Japanese born NCAA Division I player Patrick McCaw (born 1995), professional basketball player for the Delaware Blue Coats Terrence Ross (born 1991), former professional basketball player who last played for the Phoenix Suns Josh Tillman (born 1981), musician better known as Father John Misty. Yuki Togashi (born 1992), Japanese professional basketball player "Q&A with Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez", Sporting News, November 29, 2007. Accessed December 1, 2007."Q: What was Kevin Durant like when you played with him at Montrose Christian?" Greivis Vasquez (born 1987), professional basketball player, and Venezuela national teamTysiac, Ken. Ish Wainright (born 1994), American-Ugandan basketball player in NBA, now for Hapoel Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
References
External links Official site