Montverde Academy pairs rigorous academics with individualized attention, giving students the support and challenge they need to reach their potential.

Of the many aspects that make Montverde Academy a special place—one of the most culturally diverse student bodies in the country, a robust college preparatory curriculum and an academic approach tailored to each individual—Kristen Kladiva believes the most impressive is its ability to challenge young learners while also ensuring they are known, valued and supported along the way.

Perhaps that’s why it is so rewarding for her to not only be an administrator at MVA but also a parent who entrusts the 114-year-old K-12 institution with the continued development of her two sons, one in ninth grade and the other in seventh.

“I get to see the school from the inside as an educator, but I also get to experience it as a mom,” says Kladiva, the Associate Dean of the Lower School. “I am proud that my children are growing up in a community that encourages them to work hard, think independently, care about others and be comfortable becoming the people they are meant to be.”

Montverde Academy’s emphasis on helping students grow academically, socially and emotionally carries through at every level, and the results speak for themselves. The Class of 2026 earned more than $12 million in collegiate scholarships, produced 43 Distinguished Scholars and achieved a 100% college acceptance rate.

Yet the goal isn’t simply to prepare students to ace their tests and gain admission to the most selective universities. It is to teach them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers, even at the earliest ages.

“In the Lower School, we want students to ask questions, explain their thinking, make connections, try different approaches and understand that making a mistake is often part of learning,” Kladiva says. “We want a kindergartener or a third grader to be able to say, ‘I don’t know yet, but I’m going to figure it out.’”

That philosophy continues as students progress through the school. Assistant Head of School, Upper School and Student Affairs David Bernatavitz, who is in his 10th year at MVA and his 29th as a school administrator, believes the school’s national reputation as an athletic powerhouse can sometimes overshadow its academic accomplishments.

For example, Montverde Academy offers 34 Advanced Placement classes and has a nearly 90% pass rate on AP exams. The school also has four dual-enrollment partnerships, including with the University of Florida, allowing students to gain college credits while still in high school.

“You have to ensure that all students have the foundational knowledge they need, but when you have innovative and creative instruction to support that foundational knowledge, that just elevates the engagement to levels that are extraordinary,” Bernatavitz says. 

He points to an environmental science teacher who has students bury underwear around campus and later analyze what happens to the garments as part of a lesson on soil. It may look unconventional from the outside, but it is precisely the kind of instruction that makes learning stick and helps students thrive on AP exams.

“That is high-level learning,” Bernatavitz says. “That doesn’t happen from a teacher lecturing—that happens from teacher engagement and understanding what students’ weaknesses are so we can work on them and build them into strengths.”

Small class sizes contribute to success as well: Since students are able to build tight bonds with their teachers, they are more comfortable using their voices and taking intellectual risks. That sense of open dialogue is also seen among the students themselves, who come from 70-plus countries, speak 15 to 20 languages and give MVA a truly global community. 

In fact, Montverde Academy was ranked in the top 1% for diversity among private K-12 schools across America in the 2027 Niche rankings. 

“I think it prepares them for life beyond school,” Kladiva says. “We want our students to be comfortable meeting people who may be different from them, to listen to perspectives that may not be their own and to appreciate the experiences that shape other people.”

“A lot of schools talk about their commitment to diversity, but we don’t have to talk about it,” Bernatavitz adds. “It’s just a fabric of our everyday being.”

He is also especially proud of the individualized experience each student receives. Whether they’re a future No. 1 overall NBA draft pick like Cade Cunningham or Cooper Flagg, or an aspiring surgeon, each student follows an academic path tailored to their individual goals, with schedules that may include AP, dual enrollment, honors or college prep courses—or a combination of them. 

The important thing is to meet students where they are and to foster a love for education.

“It’s not just OK to have joy in learning—it’s necessary to have joy in learning,” Bernatavitz says. “That stretches from the student interactions to the commitment from the faculty to the students and how we embrace the parent culture here. We get the greatest kids and it’s a joy to work with all of them.”

Montverde Academy
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