Mount Pleasant Community High School is a public high school (grades 9รข€"12) located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. MPCHS is one of two high schools in the Mount Pleasant Community School District. Annual enrollments are generally between 600 and 700 students for all four grade levels. The school offers regular and enriched academic education which includes advanced placement classes, special education classes, vocational education, and specialized instruction for at-risk students as well as those with limited English-speaking capabilities.
The high school is part of the 3A Southeast Conference and participates in 18 varsity athletics, including track and field, cross country, basketball, football, wrestling, volleyball, soccer, tennis, golf, and bowling (added in 2010). MPCHS holds eight state championships, three in boys basketball (1917,1918, 2012) one in boys outdoor track & field (2000), girls cross country (2002) and three in girls track & field (2004, 2005, 2006). The Football team was also voted state champions (for all classes) in 1963 (before there was a playoff system) as they were undefeated and unscored on.
The school's music program allows students to participate in choir, show choir, concert band, marching band, and jazz band. The Mount Pleasant Panther Marching Band, directed by Jim DePriest, as of 2016 has earned 30 consecutive Division I ratings at the State Marching Band Festival, and has traveled to major competitions in Indianapolis, IN, St. Louis, MO, Blue Springs, MO, West Des Moines, and other places to compete with Bands of America caliber bands. The band also hosts their own marching band invitational, usually held on the third Saturday evening in September. The Mt. Pleasant Marching Band currently has two alumni marching with the Hawkeye Marching Band at the University of Iowa, three alumni marching with the Panther Marching Band at the University of Northern Iowa, and one alumni marching with the Cyclone Marching Band at Iowa State University.
The Mount Pleasant Community High School currently has two jazz bands. The Mount Pleasant Jazz 1, directed by Jim DePriest, has participated in state contest many times, while the Mount Pleasant Jazz 2, under Laura Westfall, has included many students that were later in Jazz 1. Jazz 1 won fifth place at the 2016 Iowa Jazz Championships and sixth place in 2017.
The Mount Pleasant InMotion show choir is an award-winning ensemble that has won numerous awards over the years and is recognized in the state of Iowa as one of the best show choirs. This ensemble is directed by Marlene DePriest. This show choir has been to Benton High School's "Touch of Class" Invitational, Fort Madison's "Stars in the Spotlight" invitational, Pella's "Dutch Masters" competition, and West Delaware's "Red Carpet Gala" invitational as well as other competitions. The school hosts their own show choir invitational, Music in Motion, annually on the first Saturday in February.
In the 2013-14 season of show choir, InMotion show choir made finals at every competition they attended, with Garrett Carlston and Brianne Holtkamp winning best male and female soloists at Pella's "Dutch Masters", Fort Madison's "Stars in the Spotlight", and West Delaware's "Red Carpet Gala".
Mount Pleasant High School's chamber choir is an accomplished ensemble of sophomores-seniors. They have been to state contest many times and many students in this choir have auditioned for the All-State choir.
The Mount Pleasant High School directs a musical every two years. They consist of Broadway shows and are commonly Rodgers and Hammerstein productions.
Many graduates of MPCHS go on to 2-year community colleges or 4-year public or private institutions in the area.
References
External links
- School District K-12 Music
