The Webster Groves School District is a public school district in and around Webster Groves, Missouri, west of St. Louis. The current superintendent is Dr. John Simpson, and the district's central office is located at 400 E. Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119. The district serves a community of approximately 32,000 includes many business, academic, and professional persons.
Serving grades 9-12, WGHS opened 1889, as a 9th grade general course. In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton visited WGHS to commend the district's drug and violence prevention efforts, the same year that their basketball team won the District 4A State Championship against West Plains High School. In 1999 TIME Magazine featured a cover story to a week at Webster Groves High School. There are 149 faculty. Every Thanksgiving Day the Statesmen football team plays Kirkwood High School's Pioneers in the annual Turkey Day game. This rivalry between the two schools started in 1907, and is the oldest high-school football rivalry west of the Mississippi river. The 100th annual game was played Thanksgiving, 2007.
Serving grades 7-8, opened 1955 as Hixson Junior High School. In 2008, Hixson was awarded the state of Missouri's Gold Star honor. That same year, Hixson was named to Missouri's Top Ten list, ranking third for sustained high performance in eighth grade mathematics scores and science scores, as determined by the Missouri Assessment Program. In 2007, Hixson made the Top Ten list for its seventh grade mathematics scores. Hixson was named for James Hixson, longtime Webster Groves High School principal. Hixson sits on, including Moss Field, a sports field shared with WGHS. A library annex was added on to the building in 1998, and a recent bond issue made possible a variety of building improvements: central air conditioning, wireless networking, new roofing, and complete renovation of the auditorium and cafeteria.
Serving grade 6, opened 1960 as Steger Junior High School, converted to Steger Elementary School for six years from 1978-1984 before ultimately becoming the Steger Sixth Grade Center. On Steger's lower level is Givens Elementary School. Steger was named for Leonard Steger, a former superintendent. In April 2019, voters approved a $22 million bond issue that will move sixth grade to Hixson Middle School, and convert Givens into a neighborhood elementary school.
Elementary schools
Avery Elementary School
Serving grades K-5. Opened as Tuxedo School, Avery was renamed in 1916 for the Avery family, early settlers of Webster Groves. It is likely that Avery School sits on part of the former Avery family farm. Avery's principal is Dr. Tony Arnold. Avery is noted for its very strong community involvement and support from parents, including the decades-old community theatre show The Avery Play. It was named a Missouri Gold Star school in 2007.
Bristol Elementary and Bristol Primary Schools
Serving grades K-5, originally known as Webster School, opened in 1869. Bristol Elementary, known locally as 'Big Bristol', was named for Dr. Bennett Bristol, a physician and longtime member of the Board of Education. Bristol Elementary is across the street from sister school Bristol Primary School, or 'Little Bristol', which now houses the Webster Groves Early Years Family Center. Bristol's mascot is the bulldog.
Clark Elementary School
Serving grades K-5, Clark Elementary was named a Missouri Gold Star school in 2004-05 by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Clark School, opened in 1949, was named for teacher Anna M. Clark, who taught in the district for 30 years. Clark's mascot is the eagle.
Givens Elementary School
Serving grades K-5, originally known as Webster Groves Elementary Computer School, located on the lower level of Steger 6th Grade Center. Givens is named after Dr. Henry Givens Jr, a former teacher and principal at Douglass School. Givens is a magnet school in the district, with students chosen by lottery. Givens gained attention in 1983 when it was established, as it was the first public elementary school in the country to incorporate computers into the school's curriculum. It is unusually small compared to other elementary schools. There is only one classroom per grade. Following the passage of Proposition E, Givens will become a neighborhood elementary school, occupying the entire building when 6th grade is transitioned to Hixson Middle School.
Edgar Road Elementary School
Serving grades K-5, opened in 1951. Edgar Road's mascot is the jaguar.
Hudson Elementary School
Serving grades K-5. Built in 1945, Hudson has, with assistance from the Missouri Botanical Garden, developed a Youth Garden which also serves as an outdoor classroom. In 2012, the cafeteria manager of the school was fired by the lunch contracting company for providing a child with regular lunches instead of a cheese sandwich, the meal given to students who cannot prove eligibility for regular lunches. After publicity of the firing, the cafeteria manager, Diane Brame, was re-hired.
The Walter Ambrose Family Center
Located in the former Bristol Primary School, and known locally as "Little Bristol", the building is home to Webster's Parents as Teachers program, a family education and support program beginning prenatally and serving children up to age 5; the district's Early Childhood Education Center, which offers a comprehensive program for children ages 2–5; and the Adventure Club, offering before-and after-school care for children ages K-6.
