Education

The entire school district sits on one campus comprising approximately 105 acres, and educates approximately 2,650 students a year Pre-K through 12th grade. The school district has been accredited with Distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for more than 10 years! The district’s annual budget is more than $25 million. The average student to teacher ratio is 19:1. Select schools within the district include:

Early Childhood Learning Center: The District’s Early Childhood Learning Center serves children from 6 weeks to Kindergarten eligibility in a licensed and accredited facility on the Kirksville Schools campus (and is one of the few in the state of Missouri). Children are served in one or more of the following programs: Missouri Preschool Project, Early Head Start, Early Childhood Special Education, Head Start, Half Day Preschool and/or Full Day Preschool. In addition to child care and preschool programming, the Early Childhood Learning Center provides extended care for working families, develop-mental screenings, personalized home visits, parent education and a network of community resources.

Primary and Elementary School: Both schools together serve Kindergarten through 5th grade. Gifted classes as well as special education classes are offered to give an individualized experience to students as well as a classroom learning environment. Curriculum can be found online at the school’s website and many teachers keep a classroom website as well. Choir is offered for students as an extracurricular activity and 5th graders play parent-sponsored sports.

Middle School: The middle school serves students in grades 6th-8th grade. Gifted classes and special education classes exist here as well. Band is offered for the first time where students learn how to play and march. Elective classes students can take include: family and consumer science, art, agriculture, current events, and more. School sponsored athletics also begin at this level and include softball, football, volleyball, track and cheer-leading.

High School: The Kirksville High School serves students in grades 9-12 and was recognized as one of “America’s Best High Schools” by US News and World Report magazine. It also participates in the Missouri A+ program. Multiple electives, extracurricular activities, clubs and sports exist at the high school. The graduation rate for 2023 was 90%, while the drop-out rate was 3%. Kirksville graduates who enter a four year college/university is 34.1%; enter a two year college is 22%; other education is 6.1%; and employed is 20.1%. The composite score of all students taking the ACT is 21.

Kirksville Area Technical Center: The following programs are offered at the Kirksville Area Technical Center (KATC): Administrative Office Assistant, Computer Applications, Digital Design & Graphics, Automotive Collision Repair, Automotive Technology, Construction Trades, Early Childhood Careers, Medical Administrative Assistant, Health Services Assistant, Agriculture, Emergency Medical Technician, and Academic Credit Recovery. The Practical Nursing and Paramedic programs are available to high school graduates. In addition to the instructional programs listed, KATC offers career assessment and regional coordination of support services for non-traditional students. Federally approved financial aid programs are available to adult students who qualify and placement services are provided to all individuals completing programs.