KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Music and art are taking center stage at the Kirksville School District.
The school has officially started the process to building a new Education Center for the Performing Arts in between the high school and the middle school.
“It’s pretty amazing, you won’t find a better facility than this one anywhere in northern Missouri,” said Kirksville Superintendent Robert Webb.
Webb told KTVO that the building will be one of a kind in northern Missouri, helping to fill a need in the Kirksville community.
“We don’t have any place right now where this many people can be at the same time to see any kind of a professional level performance,” Webb said. “So a performing arts, whether it’s choir or, concert band or theatrical. And the hope could be that in order to also then let’s invite some more high quality professional performers for a community event that somebody wants to do, then here’s a great facility to do that. “
The Education Center for the performing arts will provide more opportunities, with new practice and educational rooms for the students and an auditorium with upgraded equipment.
“740 seat auditorium is going to have a full fly loft, over 120 theatrical lights, a sound system that won’t quit, a lobby area that’s also going to double as an art gallery for our high school students,” Webb said.
The building won’t just be to highlight those on stage and performing, the new building will help give new experiences to those performing behind the scenes.
“There are lighting, there’s makeup, there’s costuming, set design,” Webb said. “What a great opportunity for these kids to have a facility where they’re all going to learn. That’s why it’s called the Education Center for the Performing Arts. It’s all things about performing, obviously. Go into it “
The building won’t just be for performing and education, it will also have a new storm shelter to help protect the students during severe weather.
“That’s the classroom area that will be for the band and the choir, their rehearsal room, their storage, that whole facility is attached, obviously, to this built to that standard of 1000 people can be in there and will stand, should be with standing in F4 tornado,” Webb said.
Webb says that the building should be completed by the end of 2026.