The Wright City R-II School District celebrated continued growth in the community as it welcomed students back to the classroom Thursday, Aug. 9.Superintendent Dr. David Buck says early numbers indicate a significant increase in enrollment. Heading into the first day, 1,702 students were registered, as opposed to around 1,400 just three years ago. Buck attributes, in part, an abundance of new commerce within the district, with businesses such as EPC and a new truck center opening along I-70.“If you talk to the realtors and builders, there have been a lot of homes built lately,” said Buck. “We’ve been fortunate to have good test scores to draw people in, and the economy is doing well, so people are looking for bigger yards.”While the growth is exciting, it may also present some challenges.Wright City has five classroom buildings across the district, with minimal space available. East Elementary is at capacity and may be in need of an expansion soon.“We’re in a race with the clocks, because we can’t ask to build a new high school until 2024 at the earliest,” said Buck. “We’re kind of in a race with growth as far as when can add another building.”East Elementary is the newest building in the district but is also one of the most rapidly growing. The high school is the oldest, but the district will need to pay off the middle school and East Elementary before moving forward with the development of a new high school.The middle school has seen the most growth over the three years, ballooning from 350 to 424 students. It also houses the largest class with 169 sixth-graders. This year’s senior class is the smallest at 88 — the only class under 100 students.Buck says it’s an exciting time for the district, which recently received a $1 million check from an alumni to go toward scholarships. In addition, new development continues to expand.“Our assessed valuation of new construction going into this year was over $9 million and had never been over $6 million in the past,” said Buck.Wright City School District logo