The school district has a student enrollment of about 3,852, is organized on four levels: K-4, grades 5 and 6, grades 7 and 8, and grades 9-12, and has an accredited rating given by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Willard South Elementary, houses 343 students in grades K-4, is located near the edge of the city limits of Springfield on Division Street.  Willard Central Elementary serves 377 students, K-4, and is located on Farm Road 101, north of EE Highway.   Willard East Elementary, grades K-4 serves 390 students and is located on Kime Street in Willard.  Willard North Elementary, grades K-4, serves 392 students and is located in Willard, Missouri, at the junction of Highway AB and 160. All four elementaries are participating in the Accelerated Schools program.  The Intermediate School, grades 5 and 6, compromised of 548 students, is situated on the same campus as Willard North, but students are separated from elementary students.  The Middle School, located on Miller Road, houses 662 students in grades 7 and 8.  In August of 2006, our new Willard High School, located on Jackson Street, opened it’s doors with an enrollment of  1,125 students in grades 9-12.  The Alternative School has an enrollment of around 15 students.

District Boundary:

The exact boundary lines are difficult to describe due to boundary changes over the years which have created numerous jogs in the boundary lines.  The northeastern boundary stretches beyond Highway 13 to McDaniel Lake.  The southeastern boundary juts westward slightly within the Springfield city limits.  The southern boundary runs just beyond I-44 to near Brookline.  The western boundary follows no specific pattern.  The southwestern boundary is located a couple of miles west of Highway AB and generally parallels the highway for a few miles.  Just west of Willard the boundary juts westward all the way beyond Highway UU.  The northwestern corner takes in the Cave Springs area and goes beyond Highway 123.  The northernmost boundary generally follows Farm Road 44 with the exception of a wide strip of land on both sides of Highway Z running all the way beyond Sacville to and slightly beyond Highway BB.  For more specific information consult the attached map or call the transportation department at 742-2506.

Attendance Boundaries:

All students in grades 9‑12 attend Willard High School; all students in grades 7‑8 attend Willard Middle School.  Students in grades 5-6 attend Willard Intermediate School.  K‑4 students are required to attend the elementary school in their neighborhood attendance center. 

Enrollment:

To enter a student in school, simply take the student to the school he or she will attend.  The school will request the child’s records from the school he or she attended last.  A current grade card or similar information would be helpful for immediate grade or program placement during the waiting period for permanent records or a copy of a current I.E.P if the child is receiving special education services. Requirements for new student registration include the child’s birth certificate, social security number, an indication of compliance with the state’s immunization laws and proof of residency.  A kindergarten child must be five before the first day of August.

Education Program:

The Willard Schools offer a quality educational program.  If you measure quality by the programs offered, then the Willard Schools will rate exceptionally high.  In addition to the core subjects the Elementary program offers music, art, library and physical education.  In addition to math, social studies, language arts, and science, the Middle School program includes an expanded elective program featuring vocal and instrumental music, home economics, art, speech, drama, industrial arts, Spanish and computers.  At the secondary level, Willard High School is an accredited A+ High School which offers an expanded curriculum including over 135 units of credit. Thirteen different dual-credit College classes, all of which articulate into 45 college hours, are offered during the regular day.  Over 60 units of approved credit is available at the Graff Vo-Tech School, a part of Ozarks Technical College, in Springfield.

If quality is measured in personnel, then the Willard Schools rank high with 44% of the 286 certified staff members having Master’s Degrees or higher.

If quality is measured with test scores, the Willard Schools compare very well.  In the standardized testing program students have been equal to or above the national average in most areas.  Willard students score above the state average in most categories on the Missouri Assessment Program each year.

Aligned Elementary Curriculum
The elementary curriculum is aligned to the Missouri grade level expectations so that whichever school a child goes to he or she will be receiving instruction on the same objectives.  Each school develops a personality because of the makeup of students, the teaching staff, and the operation of the individual principal.  Elementary teachers meet collaboratively to develop the curricular objectives, the assessments, and their instructional strategies.

Centralized Elementary Curriculum
The elementary curriculum is centralized so that whichever school a child goes to he or she will be receiving exactly the same training and services as does any other child.  Each school develops a personality because of the makeup of students, the teaching staff, and the operation of the individual principal.

Transportation:

The school district operates 40 school buses.  They travel over 378,000 miles annually and transport a daily average of over 2,500 students.  The Board of Education has established that any student who lives within the district boundaries shall receive free bus transportation.  A few students who live very near their attendance center walk to school.