About Us » Monroe School History

Monroe School History

Monroe Elementary School is the site of the oldest school in Monrovia!  In 1887, Orange Avenue School was built when Colorado Boulevard was still named Orange Avenue amid the orange groves of Monrovia.  The original two-story building was located at the west end of the campus, where we now have a field. The original school started with four teachers and one principal. Orange Avenue school was torn down and a new school was built in 1917. After the Long Beach earthquake, in 1933, the building was condemned and rebuilt where it stands today. In 1936, the school was renamed to honor the founder of Monrovia, William Monroe.  (Many people think it is named after the United States President James Monroe.)
 
Monroe is honored to be named a California Distinguished School, a Title I Achieving School, a California Gold Ribbon School, and has been awarded the PBIS Bronze Medal Implementation Award. California bestows these titles on schools that have made significant strides in academic performance and growth in a broad range of student support areas, intervention, varied teaching strategies, library skills, positive behavior supports and intervention (PBIS), and a strong core curriculum have enhanced the educational opportunities at Monroe.

Staying in step with technology is a priority for the continuing success of our students. Monroe is a 1:1 technology school where all students have access to devices to support their learning.  We also enjoy an extensive library featuring over 12,000 books, videos, and periodicals.

In the fall of 2010, Monrovia Unified School District began to house our Dual-Immersion Spanish and English program for Kindergarten students at Monroe School.  This exciting program currently continues with Transitional Kindergarten through fifth-grade students.  If you have any questions or would like to have a tour of our school, please call the office at (626) 471-2300.