When the new school year begins this fall, the Hillsboro R-3 School District will introduce new grade levels at the elementary, middle elementary and primary schools in preparation for the district’s new Early Childhood program expected to open in the 2025-2026 school year.
According to Superintendent Jon Isaacson, the elementary school, which previously housed third through fourth grade students, will instead house second and third graders. The middle elementary school will transition from enrolling students in fifth and sixth grades to fourth through sixth graders. The primary school, which previously housed kindergarten through second graders, will house kindergartners and first graders.
The early childhood center also will be housed in the primary school when it opens in fall 2025.
The Learning Center, the school district’s alternative school previously located in the intermediate school building, will move across the street to a building that formerly housed the Logo Daddys graphics and screen-printing shop at 144 N. Seventh St.
Isaacson noted that Brockmiller Construction of Farmington began remodeling the building several weeks ago. At its December meeting, the school board agreed to spend $830,000 for the property, which includes a 9,000-square-foot building and two outbuildings.
“At this moment, the biggest focus is moving the furniture between the buildings because the teachers are changing classrooms,” Isaacson said.
Isaacson said the changes are expected to benefit district families and students.
“The number one thing is that we’re going to be able to open up an early childhood center and meet that need for our parents and community,” he said. “As far as the impact on the children, it will give them a jumpstart on their education before they enter kindergarten.”
Isaacson also said student test scores could improve because teachers will be able to focus better on specific areas of study.
He said changing the alternative school’s location also will be an improvement.
“It was (previously) attached to our fifth and sixth grade building, so there won’t be comingling. There are benefits to them having their own space, and we’re going to be able to expand our wood shop with a second wood shop and shop area for our alternative program, as well as our agriculture and other programs.”
Isaacson believes the teachers who will be moved to new buildings are handling all the changes well.
“I think there’s a level of excitement for a multitude of reasons, along with a little bit of apprehension,” he said. “They’re excited to have a new place to park and a new building culture – just kind of shaking it up. If you teach in the same district, you may never leave the room you’ve been in for 30 years. In a lot of ways, changing a building is like changing jobs, but you don’t have to change your health care plan, lose your years of service or anything like that. So, there’s that excitement of something new.
“We went through it at the end of the school year as teachers were moving their classrooms. That was probably the
biggest change. ‘How am I going to move my classroom? How am I going to get it set up?’ But generally, I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback. The teachers are like, ‘I can’t wait for this. I’m excited to go to the elementary’ or whatever building they’re moving to. So, yeah, it’s all been very, very positive.”
The changes, previously approved by the district’s Board of Education, were subsequently sent to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval.