Manhattan High School

In a time of high stakes testing and federal accountability, Manhattan High School has continued to perform well. Last year, 98 percent of our students tested proficient in reading and 94 percent tested proficient in math, while 91 percent of the class of 2010 completed four years of high school with a diploma. Several of those who did not graduate completed a GED or other program such as the National Guard Youth Challenge program in Dillon.

We have also received notice that our students performed extremely well on the ACT and SAT test. The ACT composite average score for Manhattan High School students was 24.1. This exceeds the state average of 22.0 and is the top public high school composite score in the Gallatin Valley. In the past fifteen years, Manhattan High School has a consistently higher average than the state and national average on the ACT composite average. SAT testing score results reflect similar trends.

The PSAT test also indicates that our test scores are well above national and state averages. Test results from the 2009-10 school year were outstanding.

Manhattan High School also administers the Montana University System Writing Assessment to all eleventh grade students each spring. The writing assessment is scored on a six-point scale and Manhattan consistently performs in the top quartile of schools in the state. The 2010 writing test score average for Manhattan 4.4, which is well above the state average of 3.8.

While our students and teachers are obviously excelling in academic areas, it is also important to point out student successes beyond the classroom. In the past few years, Manhattan High School has brought home numerous state, district, and divisional trophies. The golf team has won the divisional title once. The drama team won the divisional title and placed second in the state for 2009-10. In addition to placing second in drama, Jackelyn Thompson was an individual state champion in Speech. The group was state champion the year before while involved in a cooperative program with Three Forks. The men’s cross country team won the state class B title in years 2005, and 2009 and added a second place state trophy 2008. The men’s track team has been a power for many years with six straight district championships four of six divisional titles, two state titles as well as a second and third place finish at the state meet. The girls track team has also been showing strength with a district championship in 2008, a second place finish in 2009 and a third place finish in 2010. The football program has been district champion once and runner up twice in the last seven years.