Montevideo High School was the first of the consolidated high schools built during the consolidation movement of the 1950s. During the late 1940s the Rockingham County school board decided to combine the ten existing high schools into three consolidated high schools, one on each end of the county. The most pressing need was on the eastside since Port Republic High School had burned in October of 1945 and was housed in "temporary" structures. The original plan also included Elkton, but the residents of the Elkton area refused to go along with the consolidation and when the new school opened in 1950, it consolidated the high schools at Keezletown, McGaheysville and Port Republic. A fourth high school was opened at Elkton in 1958. Montevideo High School was constructed by English Construction Company at a cost of $622,750. In 1965, an addition was built to house an intermediate school program composed of seventh and eighth grades. This twelve classroom addition was built by Fralin Construction Company at a cost of $300,050 which also included a gymnasium. The intermediate school was run under the high school administration until 1973, when the intermediate school became a separate unit and the first Montevideo Intermediate principal was hired. During the early 1970s, discussion of a consolidated eastside high school re-emerged and in 1976, the school board decided to build the new school on land purchased from the Jackson family. In 1980, the new Spotswood High school was opened and the Montevideo building was used for the middle school program. The last class at Montevideo graduated in the class of 1980. Principals who served at Montevideo High School are:

1950-51 James W. Moyers

1951-64 Boyd J. Glick

1964-71 Manford B. Weaver

1971-72 John R. Montgomery

1972-80 John A. Kent

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