Monument Valley High School is a high school in

Kayenta Kayenta ( nv, ) is a U.S. town which is part of the Navajo Nation and is in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. Established November 13, 1986, the Kayenta Township is the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation, making it u ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. It is the only high school under the jurisdiction of the

Kayenta Unified School District Kayenta Unified School District No. 27 is a school district headquartered in Kayenta, Arizona, located within the Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United ...

. Built in the mid-1950s, Monument Valley High School graduated its first class in 1962. The original school building was circular, intended to resemble a traditional hogan. The center was a wood-floored basketball court, with classrooms and other facilities ringing the court. The building had considerable architectural flair. It burned down near the end of the 1978 school year. The current school building was constructed in its place later the same year. The school’s basketball and volleyball teams originally played in the 984-seat Beets Gymnasium until the construction in 1991 of the $11 million, 3800-seat Nash Center, named after Lucinda and Robert Nash, who were both coaches at the school. Considered legends on the Navajo Reservation and in the town of Kayenta, Lucinda Nash coached the Lady Mustangs Volleyball team, winning 37 state championships, while Robert Nash coached Monument Valley’s girls basketball team and won four state championships. The arena, which opened in 1991, was known as the Student Activity Center (1991–2015) and was the largest arena on the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...

until 2006. Monument Valley is known for its state titles in the AIA 3A Division.

Service area

In addition to Kayenta, the school district includes Chilchinbito, Oljato-Monument Valley, and Shonto.

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1958 Public high schools in Arizona Schools in Navajo County, Arizona Education on the Navajo Nation 1958 establishments in Arizona