With golden shovels in hand, the Kirksville R-III School District officially broke ground this morning on the anticipated Performing Arts Center for Education. District administration, school board members, teachers, high school band students, and community members gathered just southeast of Kirksville High School to mark the start of construction.
“This will be more than a building,” notes Tricia Reger, Assistant Superintendent of Kirksville R-III. “It’s our promise to our students and staff that their voices, stories, and talents matter. Today, we began building a space where imagination will take center stage.” The facility will connect to Kirksville High School and feature a 750-seat auditorium, rehearsal spaces, music classrooms, set construction area, a costume and prop workroom, and dressing rooms. The main lobby will include designated gallery space for visual arts students to display work. Additionally, the music classroom wing will serve a dual purpose as a storm shelter—engineered to protect the entire high school population during severe weather.
The building was designed by Building Resource Studio Architects and will be constructed by Prost Builders. Navigate Building Solutions is serving as the project management consultant. More than two years ago, community members came together to begin assessing the district’s facility needs before presenting a plan—one that included building a new performing arts center—to the school board. The board placed the initiative on the April 2024 ballot, where it received overwhelming voter approval.
The center is expected to be completed in December 2026.
