Nicholson Elementary was built in 1891 as Montgomery School and renamed after longtime principal Grace M. Nicholson in 1962. It is the West Aurora School District's only school in Montgomery, and according to the Ilinois State Board of Education, 79.8 percent of its students met or exceeded expectations on the 2010 ISAT, up from 74.3 percent in 2009. The principal is David Russell, serving his first year in 2010-2011.