City: Branson, MO

Category: Education

Telephone: (417) 272-8171

Description: The Reeds Spring School in Stone County, home of the Wolves, has been one of the area’s schools most impacted by the Branson boom. The growth of Silver Dollar City, with the development of immediate area motels and restaurants in Branson West and Kimberling City, resulted in a population explosion for the district. For many people who work at the theme park or on the west side of Branson, Reeds Spring became the logical place to live. The school’s district is 188 square miles, with a total enrollment of 2,191 in grades kindergarten through 12. There are 1,183 students in elementary school, 346 in the middle school, and 662 in the high school. From 1990 to 1997 Reeds Spring was the fastest-growing school district in the state. The growth mandated construction of a new high school, which opened in 1997. Existing buildings were renovated for the intermediate and middle school populations. Though the mid-1990s Branson boom has tapered off, the school district is still playing catch-up. Reed Spring opened a new elementary school in 2003. The district has a property valuation of $318. The district is classified as accredited, the highest classification given by the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. A unique feature of the Reeds Spring district is the Tri-Lakes Telecommunications Community Resource Center (TCRC), a partnership between Reeds Spring and Skaggs Community Health Center of Branson and the University of Missouri Extension Service. The center provides programming, professional training, and economic development training for the surrounding four-county area. It is a long-distance learning center, with an interactive video classroom, a multipurpose computer lab classroom, a training classroom, a multimedia production suite, and a public-access area for local residents to get on the Internet.The center offers both credit and noncredit classes from the University of Missouri and other institutions, as well as continuing education in a variety of fields. It also provides special training for area businesses as needed or requested.