Magpapalayok National High School started its humble beginning in 1970 and was then known as Magpapalayoc Barangay High School under the supervision of the first assigned administrator Dr. Anita Pagtalunan, former Education Program Supervisor in Media of SDO Nueva Ecija.
Magpapalayok National High School is located at Magpapalayoc, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, accessible to any kind of transportation, it is about 4.1 km. from Poblacion km from the District, and 13.8 km from the Division Office, Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija. There are three barangay feeders, Magpapalayoc, Adorable and Tabuating. When the school started in 1970, it was located within the perimeter of Magpapalayoc Elementary school for almost two decades until it was transferred to its new site in 1990 and named Magpapalayok Newly Nationalized High School.
Part of the history of Magpapalayok National High School is during its early years the school was under the supervision of its mother high school, Penaranda National High School under the supervision of Genaro Isidro, School Principal.
Luckily, the administrators assigned to the school since it was started had common goals and objectives, to develop the school based on national standards in terms of academic and physical development. The administrators who rendered service and to be honored were: 1988 - 1995 Hermogena H. Abes, Head Teacher III, OIC; 1995 - 2011 Fernando J. Valera, Principal II; April 2011 - 2013 Antonina Espinosa, Principal I; June 2013- 2017 Clarissa A. Fernandez, Principal II; 2018-May 2019 Emilia D. Mauricio, Head Teacher III, OIC and June 2019 - June 2021 Josefina A. Roque, Principal II.
In achieving the school's goals and objectives, the School Heads worked hand in hand with the Head Teachers assigned in different administration, they were Emma Fernando, Head Teacher III from 1988 to 2011 and Jenny Lynn Batoy, Head Teacher III from 2011 to 2015.
During the administration of Fernando J. Valera, the school applied to be qualified as one of the Fiscal Autonomous schools in the Division of Nueva Ecija and after too long years of waiting it was granted in 2017 during the administration of Clarissa A. Fernandez.
In 2017, the application of the school to be qualified as one of the Fiscally Autonomous schools in the Division of Nueva Ecija was granted during the administration of Clarissa A. Fernandez in which the application and submission of necessary requirements was done during the administration of Fernando J. Valera.
In 2016, the school opened the Senior High School with two strands offered, the General Academic Strand (GAS) and Technology Vocational Livelihood Strand (TVL) and in 2019, the school offered additional strand, the Accountancy Business and Management Strand (ABM).
Moreover, in 2018, the school started its Special Program, Information, Communication and Technology (SP-ICT) in the Junior High School during the administration of Josefina A. Roque through the effort of Lemuel Kim A. Garcia, Information, Communication and Technology school's coordinator.
At present Jenny Lynn Batoy, Principal Il is the administrator of the school since June 2021 while Emilia D. Mauricio is the Head Teacher III since June 2016 with 22 Junior High School Teachers, 7 Senior High School Teachers and 4 Admin Staff in the Plantilla. MNHS is one of the most dynamic and robust schools, excelling academically and second in SDO-San Leonardo Annex secondary schools with the biggest enrolment. It is mostly young teachers who are hardworking and innovative and teachers who are experts in their fields of assignment.