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A Message from the Superintendent
After six months of work, the Kirkwood Schools Strategic Plan is complete! During that time, information was gathered through various means, including focus groups and surveys of parents, staff, students, and the community. The Strategic Planning Committee used this input to create a plan that will provide a roadmap for Kirkwood Schools for the next 5 years. A representative group, including board members, other locally elected officials, former board members, community members, parents and students joined school district employees to engage in a rigorous process to identify the district’s Guiding Principles, Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Priority Goal Areas, and Strategic Objectives. The KSD Board of Education and team will use this plan to guide us in our decision making on behalf of our students. Each year of the plan, specific and measurable action steps will be developed to ensure we are living our mission to equip students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to be empathetic, successful, and to value all people.
Kirkwood School District History
In partnership with its dynamic communities, the Kirkwood School District has built a solid reputation as a district where children and their needs come first. Kirkwood schools and communities share a proud heritage and respect for tradition as well as a progressive attitude toward education for all children. District staff, parents and community members work together to provide in- novative educational programs, which focus on what today’s youth must know and learn to become tomorrow’s leaders.
The District, chartered in 1865, is among the oldest in St. Louis County and one of the oldest west of the Mississippi River. Located in southwest St. Louis County approximately 15 miles from the city of St. Louis, Kirkwood School District covers an area of 15 square miles and serves all, or portions of, eight suburban communities including Des Peres, Frontenac, Glendale, Huntleigh, Kirkwood, Oakland, Town and Country, and Warson Woods.
With sidewalks and tree-lined streets, many Kirkwood School District neighborhoods are within walking or biking distance of the district’s five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. There is also a Kirkwood Early Childhood Center, which is a licensed and fully accredited early education center serving families with children up to age 10. The programs offered include preschool, early childhood special education and Parents As Teachers.
The Kirkwood School District and its surrounding communities reflect a blend of old town charm with new suburban vitality. Residents enjoy beautiful parks and recreation facilities, thriving municipal business districts, large shopping malls, an open-air produce market, and a nationally acclaimed children’s science museum. Several parochial schools and a community college are located within the district’s boundaries.
Our Vision: Every student - engaged, empowered and ready for success
Our Mission: To equip students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to be empathetic, successful, and to value all people.
Guiding Principles
- ASPIRATIONAL
- EQUITABLE
- FREE FROM BIAS
- INNOVATIVE
- COLLABORATIVE
- FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
- HEALTH-CONSCIOUS
- STUDENT-CENTERED
- DATA-DRIVEN
- FLEXIBLE
- INCLUSIVE
- TRANSPARENT
Priority Goal: Relevant & Rigorous Curriculum, Instruction & Programs
- Ensure curricula are relevant, inclusive, and challenging, with consistent use and expectations across the system.
- Ensure instructional practices are student- centered and responsive, yielding positive outcomes for all students.
- Provide all students with ample opportunities to explore and pursue a variety of career pathways.
Priority Goal: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Improve and implement policies, practices, and procedures to reflect a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Ensure and expand access to educational programs and opportunities to intentionally foster equitable readiness for all students.
- Develop intentional programming to recruit, select, and retain diverse staff in all employee categories.
Priority Goal: Student & Staff Social, Mental & Emotional Health
- Foster a climate of belonging and a culture of dignity across all Kirkwood Schools.
- Identify, develop, and pro- vide social-emotional and mental health resources and learning for all students.
- Design a program to discuss, assess, and improve social, mental, and emotional health for all staff.
- Implement a comprehensive wellness plan.
Priority Goal: Communication & Engagement
- Enhance and improve communication and community relations to strengthen trust with constituents.
- Establish processes and procedures to ensure each student, parent, guardian, and community member is welcomed, understood, and valued.
- Establish processes and procedures to communicate financial information, including Prop R updates, to the Kirkwood School Community.
Planning Committee:
Jean Marie Andrews, Greg Ashley, Angie Bernardi, Jeff Blair, Eric Chrostoski, Adam Crnko, Taneal Davis, Miranda Dix, Kelly Eschenroeder, Laura Havener, Grace Holland, Marie Kelly, Kelly Lauberth, Tamala Merritt, Romona Miller, Dustin Portell, Jordyn Quinn, Julie Reimer, Rebecca Rogers, Linda Ross, Adam Scimone, Nikole Shurn, Andrea Sparkling, Anye Stark-Hull, Wallace Ward, Nicholas Whittington, Mike Wilcox