2005 Outstanding Rural School District
Mound City R-II
Mound City R-II is located halfway between Kansas City and Omaha Nebraska. Interstate 29 brings several important aspects to the community, one of which is the diversity of the population. Being a rural town of 1200 people, the primary way of life is devoted to production agriculture and it's many agri-related businesses. The district student enrollment of approximately 286 students (K-12) is somewhat diverse, due to the number of parents who work in Kansas City or the St. Joseph metropolitan areas. The school district employs 34 certified personnel and 13 support staff.
The philosophy of the Mound City School District is driven by the district mission statement: which states that "the district staff shall accept each individual student and their own unique social and emotional, physical, and mental capabilities, to develop and nurture specific knowledge and skills in that individual, enhancing their present and future life!"
Though Mound City is a small district, teachers and administrators work together for consistent excellence in all areas according to their resources. Using a curriculum aligned to the Show-me Standards and designed to move students from mastery of basic skills to mastery of essential skills as a guideline, the Mound City district has created a culture of quality learning for all students. All teachers implement research-based instructional practices including team building, paired learning, cooperative learning performance events, multiple intelligence's and hands-on learning.
The high standards that Mound City promotes do not stop when the final bell rings at the end of a school day. The school district views extracurricular activities as microcosms of society that prepare students to become productive citizens. Twenty-one activities offer students the opportunity to excel outside the classroom. Students are willing participants; 98% of students in grades 9-12 are involved in at least one extracurricular activity. Students have proudly represented Mound City as national competitors in FBLA, FCCLA, and FFA contests. The academic bowl team has emerged as state champions in four of the last eight years, and athletic teams have earned several district championships.
A Mound City graduate sums it up this way, "Over the years, I have continued to watch the consistent progression of success stories that have come out of the Mound City School system. Every week in the local newspaper, there is a new story about academic and extracurricular activity achievements of Mound City students and staff. From my own educational experience, I learned a lesson I could never have learned in books. I learned how to care -- for ideas, for others, and for the future of my community, my state, my country, and my world. Today, Mound City graduates continue to become the leaders of tomorrow in business, industry, public service, health care, and the fine arts."
To the many successes and recognition's that the Mound City District have received over the years, we could not conclude without noting their recent selection in 2004 as a Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School. To the Mound City School District, we offer congratulations to Mr. Kenneth Eaton, Superintendent, the Mound City Board of Education, the building administrators, the staff, students, and the community for a job well done and your selection as the Outstanding Rural Missouri School District for 2005.