Kapitan Moy Elementary School was named after Laureano Guevarra, popularly known as Kapitan Moy, the father of the shoe making industry in Marikina City. He donated his house to the municipal government on March 11, 1912. Due to a need for primary school, this donated residential house at J.P. Rizal, Sta. Elena led to the birth of Kapitan Moy Elementary school, named after its donor.

The school primarily offered grades 1 to 5. Then on June 4, 1976, the school became a complete elementary school. Due to the increasing population of Kapitan Moy Elementary School, the city government decided to transfer the school to a new location.

In 1992, as mandated by Mayor Bayani F. Fernando, the school was housed at Marikina Elementary School to accommodate the increasing number of enrollees. In 1999, it was suggested to be transferred to Marikina Heights by the city government to comply with the city ordinance that every barangay should have a public school.The residents of Marikina Heights who are considered informal settlers during that time strongly protested against  the construction of the school. Finally, the construction of KMES was completed in the year 2000 with a total land area of 1,422 square meters at 15 Champagnat Street Barangay Marikina Heights, Marikina City

It is one of the seventeen (17) public elementary schools in the Schools Division Office of Marikina City and one of the nine (9) schools in Marikina District II. The school's Identification Number (ID) is 136683.

The school was housed in a two-storey building constructed by then Mayor Bayani F. Fernando for the children of Marikina Heights. It has eighteen rooms, fourteen of which serve as classrooms and four are used as the office of the principal, EPP/HE, library, computer room, school supply room and the guidance room. Due to the high number of enrolled pupils, Mr. Augusto Mendoza, the principal of KMES during that time, decided to have a three-shift class.

In the year 2015 Dr. Edna S. Constantino together with the GPTA requested for additional building to then Deputy Speaker Romero Federico S. Quimbo. The Quimbo (Q) Building was built the following year.It has 4 rooms which  accommodated the Grade 3 and Grade 4 pupils. Ground improvement was also realized during that year. The creek that used to give off foul odor and the cause of flooding during the rainy season was finally covered. It now serves as an activity area for flag raising ceremonies and recreational activities. 

In the year 2018, under the leadership of Ms. Jessica A. Beltran, the principal during that time additional ten rooms from Marikina Heights High School were allotted to accommodate the 2,150 enrollees of KMES.

Through the initiative of Ms. Mila M. Casilao, the principal for the SY 2019-2020, Gulayan sa Paaralan was implemented, the school ground was cemented and fences were constructed around the school premises for security reasons. Her leadership was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the school was awarded as “Best Implementer of Brigada Eskwela in NCR”.

The school is not considered as an evacuation center but two years ago, the school was assigned as a third level evacuation center if the water level in the river goes beyond twenty (20) meters. However, this is an extreme measure if and only if, other evacuation centers were full of evacuees. At present, our evacuation plan is upgraded to meet the challenge created by natural hazards.

Ms. Reingelyn P. Donato is currently the school head of Kapitan Moy Elementary School. The school received awards such as 3rd Rank in the Regional Best Brigada Eskwela Implementer for Medium School Category, passed the Regional Validation of School Readiness for the Implementation of Expanded Phase of F2F classes, MOOE Liquidation Awardee Division Level, GSP Rank 6 as the most number of registered scouters. 

Through the years, the school is considered performing with numerous awards and recognitions from division, regional and national levels. Amidst the difficulties caused by the pandemic, the school takes pride in fulfilling its mandate together with the support of the dedicated and committed teachers. The school maintains its dignity and commitment to excellence and continuously faces the challenges together with the cooperative 62 teachers and supportive administrators and staff, community, and other stakeholders in attaining the vision and mission of the Department of Education as a whole and of Kapitan Moy Elementary School (KMES) in particular.

  The following school heads served in this school from 1976 to present: