With projected growth in student enrollment in the coming years, the Wright City R-II School District has devised a plan to better accommodate potential changes in student population.

At the January school board meeting, a recommendation to reconfigure grade levels across buildings was considered following a presentation by Superintendent Dr. Amy Salvo.

Thanks to a unanimous board vote, the 2026-27 school year will see Kindergarten through second grade classes housed at East Elementary, grades three through five at West Elementary and grades six through eight at Wright City Middle School.

“I am excited about the approved configuration,” Salvo said. “I am confident it is a proactive, student-centered approach that optimizes the use of our facilities, supports our teachers in their work, enhances student learning, and positions Wright City R-II School District for continued success. We want to serve our community to the best of our ability, and after considering family feedback and carefully evaluating our growth and financial responsibilities, we believe this is the best decision for our students and for our community.”

According to the data Salvo presented to the board, the current student capacity for East Elementary is 600, while the capacities for West Elementary and the middle school are 550.

West Elementary Principal Sara Meadows said that a shift to a more traditional model, rather than having fifth through eighth-grade students at the middle school, will be a welcome addition.

After all, before the 2024-25 school year, fifth-graders were a part of the elementary schools.

“We are so excited to welcome our fifth graders back to West Elementary,” Meadows said. “While it’s always hard to say goodbye to second grade, we know they are in amazing hands at East. Because of the strong connections between West and East Elementary, we truly embody our motto: ‘Together We Can.’ Our focus remains the same. (That is) to educate every student we serve, and that is one constant that will never change.”

Middle School Principal Taylor Backues said that while the change will shift the population, it will allow the district to assist its students better as they grow.

“They will certainly be missed at the middle school,” Backues said. “Over the past two years, our fifth graders have grown tremendously, building independence and strong academic habits. I have no doubt they will love spending one more year at West Elementary. Moving them back to the elementary setting allows us to build on our students' success while giving students support that best fits this stage of their learning.”

West Elementary Principal Dawn Hickman said that, in addition to personal growth for the district’s student body, the growth her building will experience under the improved plan is an exciting element of the change.

“The staff at East Elementary is truly excited to welcome more teachers to our team and see our building full of energy,” Hickman said. “Even more meaningful is the opportunity to have our students for another year, to continue building relationships and watch them grow, learn and gain even more confidence in their academic foundation before they go to West.”

Based upon the projection data provided by RSP and Associates, the firm hired by the district to study present and future enrollment, under the reconfiguration, the district will have 458 students at East, 438 students at West, and 418 at the middle school.

By the 2031-32 school year, at the end of the projected time frame from RSP, East projects to house 483 students, while West could see 504, and the middle school could have 524.