High school students who have been lifelong members of the Ritenour community have had the opportunity to watch the Ritenour School District grow and evolve over the past 15 years.
Originally established over 150 years ago to serve a small suburban community, the school district has grown into a larger educational system that emphasizes student achievement, equity, and adaptation to changing needs.
From the opening of the Ritenour Early Childhood Center to becoming a pioneer in technology integration, to the recognition as a Unified Champion School, the district has been on a journey of growth and transformation that district leaders believe directly positively impacts the students, families, and staff.
RITENOUR EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER
One of the most significant milestones in the growth of the Ritenour School District came with the opening of the Ritenour Early Childhood Center in 2011. This center represented a commitment to providing the youngest learners in the community with a strong foundation for future academic success.
“There are so many things that you can do in education, and the challenge is picking what you believe to be the greatest leverage. In our school district, we believe there’s great leverage in early childhood education to eliminate achievement gaps and put kids on a path to success,” RSD Superintendent Dr. Christopher Kilbride said.
Sophomore Ciara Ottensmeyer had her first introduction to the Ritenour School District at the Early Childhood Center. She believes that her time spent there has put her on a good path all the way through high school.
“I believe that the Early Childhood Center was able to start my learning skills as I transitioned into elementary school. Being in the center allowed for the extra development that I needed before starting to move forward in my learning process whenever I started new subjects of math, reading, writing, and social skills,” Ottensmeyer said. “Over my whole school experience, I feel like it has impacted me a lot and started me off to a perfect placement where I was able to understand what school was supposed to be; a place of learning. I was able to know the routine that they had for me and how to work through problems that I come across, too.”
The center was designed to offer various services, including preschool programs, early intervention services, and resources for families. This initiative, supported by local leadership and community partners, also strongly emphasized social-emotional development, creating a nurturing environment for children facing challenges early in life.
“We have a vision that all of our incoming kindergarten students will have one year of no-cost early childhood education before they start kindergarten. We anticipate that 500 kindergarten students will enroll every year. Right now, we serve 235 students at the Ritenour School for Early Childhood, which was constructed back in 2010,” Kilbride said.
Ottensmeyer believed that it not only helped her academically, but also with her social skills.
“In my years at the Early Childhood Center, it was a wonderful place to be, and I remember enjoying it so much when I went there. I was able to make friends and kick off my socialization with other kids before having to be put into a place that was fully focused on education,” Ottensmeyer said.
Its impact on the district has been noticeable, as it serves as the foundation for the district’s broader mission to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education from the moment they walk through the door.
“This past year, our early childhood program was selected as the best program in the state through the Missouri Future Builders Program, so I am very proud of that,” Kilbride said.
EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY
Over the years, the Ritenour School District has made great strides in prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ritenour has traditionally had a diverse student population, but the commitment to diversity and inclusion has only increased over time.
“Every child and family has the right to be seen, heard, and understood, and I just don’t know how that is possible without a focus on developing culturally relevant educators,” Kilbride said.
One of the most noticeable changes over the past decade has been the district’s approach to creating an environment where all students, regardless of their race, background, or ability, feel valued and supported. The district has put into place programs that specifically address the needs of marginalized groups, including students of color, English language learners, and students with disabilities. Ritenour has made it their goal to show that every student deserves access to a quality education that is not only equitable but also culturally responsive.
The district’s commitment to diversity is also reflected in its recruitment efforts to ensure the staff mirrors the demographic makeup of the student body. As the district has continued to grow and become more inclusive, it has set a model for how schools can proactively create environments where all students feel they belong.
Sophomore Carson Givens attended two different elementary schools before coming into the Ritenour School District, and says that he has noticed a difference between the teachers at those schools and at Ritenour.
“Ritenour is the most diverse with their teachers,” Givens said. “You know they’re going to bring in different cultural experiences and relate to the things we are learning in different ways.
Kilbride added that the political nature that this topic has taken on has changed the nature of the work.
“Just recently, the federal government took action to eliminate all DEI positions. From my perspective, that’s very unfortunate,” Kilbride said. “I do believe that the work must continue so that every child, in the name of moving their learning, is seen and heard every day by culturally competent educators.”
TECHNOLOGY AND 1:1
One of the district’s achievements with the most foresight has been its transition to becoming a 1:1 district, meaning every student is provided with a Chromebook. The district’s transition has proven invaluable, particularly when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional in-person learning.
By 2019, Ritenour had already rolled out devices for all secondary students, a move that proved crucial when schools nationwide were forced to pivot to virtual learning in 2020. The district’s early adoption of a 1:1 technology model allowed Ritenour students to transition into remote learning during the pandemic.
Not only were students able to continue their lessons online, but they also had access to resources, support systems, and digital learning platforms that enabled them to stay engaged and connected with their education.
However, while the resources were there during a tough time, virtual learning didn’t work for everyone. Junior Julia Nuñez had a very difficult time during the online learning phase, even with the resources of the district.
“I like face-to-face interactions. It’s harder to ask a simple question over a computer than just raising your hand and having the teacher walk up to you. I also think it’s harder to talk to your friends rather than in the class where you can just sit next to them and talk,” Nuñez said. “I got more distracted and more unfocused when I was at home. It was just harder to stay away from my phone and stuff because I didn’t really have someone saying I should do this work which I need, or I would forget.”
The district’s investment in technology allowed students to access online learning, but also allowed teachers to incorporate innovative, interactive lessons into their classrooms, even when those classrooms were virtual. As students returned from COVID and online learning, it allowed us to give alternative options of learning options to some students.
“It would work for some, but it did not work for a large number of students. I think it’s important to have a virtual option for the students and families that want that, and we do it through MOCAP, which is the Missouri Course Access Program. We started our virtual academy in the Ritenour School District during the pandemic, Ritenour Virtual Academy,” Kilbride said.
While some students might prefer the MOCAP option, Nuñez is glad that school is back in person and that there is a combination of Chromebook use and hands-on activities.
“Online learning affected me just from a lack of social interaction with people, and it was just really hard to keep my grades up when I was so unmotivated to do my school work,” Nuñez said.
UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOL
In a continued commitment to inclusivity and excellence, Ritenour was recently named a Unified Champion School in collaboration with the Special School District. This designation is given to schools that demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, promoting opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in sports, leadership, and other school activities alongside their peers. Ritenour is one of only 12 schools in Missouri to earn this recognition.
“The goal of Ritenour High School and the Ritenour School District is for every student to achieve at high levels every day. We can’t be a district where certain students or groups of students are having success, and other groups of students are not having success,” Kilbride said.
For students with disabilities, being a part of the general education environment can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. However, the district’s focus on creating a truly inclusive school environment has opened up new opportunities for students across all abilities to engage in the full range of extracurricular activities, including sports, music, and leadership roles.
PE teacher Kelsie Raimondo leads one of the Unified PE courses. She believes that the creation of this course has made an immediate positive impact on her students.
“I believe the kiddos now feel a deeper sense of belonging here at Ritenour High School, in part due to the creation of our Unified class. Everyone has been extremely supportive around the building in regards to making Unified the best possible environment for everyone involved. Counselors, principals, teachers, paraprofessionals and students have put in work to continually improve the class,” Raimondo said.
What stands out about Ritenour’s approach to becoming a Unified Champion School is how it actively involves all students in the process. It’s not just about integrating students with disabilities into existing programs; it’s about fostering an environment where all students understand the importance of inclusion, empathy, and mutual respect.
“Unified has helped to create an environment where students are able to participate in class safely without being judged by others. Unified is also strictly modified so that games are meant to be easily played by all students involved,” Raimondo said. “A lot of games and activities require students to partner up and work together to achieve a goal. Our Life Skills kiddos are very excited to come to PE and participate in activities with their buddies, whereas in years past, they may come to PE and not participate at all.”
The Unified Champion Schools program has not only provided students with disabilities an avenue to participate in extracurricular activities, but it has also helped to create a more compassionate school culture overall.
This recognition is a testament to the hard work of staff, students, and the community, and it serves as a powerful reminder of how far Ritenour has come in terms of fostering an inclusive, supportive educational environment.
“I look forward to having general education students who choose to participate in the program. This will help create a family environment that fosters inclusion and ultimately brings joy to everyone involved,” Raimondo said. “I also hope to partner with other clubs and programs on campus to create some after-school or off-campus opportunities for our Life Skills kiddos.”
MOVE TO CBE
This year, the district has embraced the concept of competency-based education (CBE), a model that allows students to progress through their coursework based on their mastery of specific skills and concepts, rather than seat time.
This personalized approach to learning allows students to take ownership of their education and progress at their own pace, helping to meet individual needs and learning styles.
“It was a large-scale implementation. We had a 10-year rollout for CBE that wasn’t going to be fully implemented until 2027, which is going to be another two years down the road. Seniors would have never experienced CBE under the plan that was created back in 2017,” Kilbride said.
As with any other large-scale project implementation, there have been some bumps in the road, but ultimately, students are starting to understand what this system will change for their learning. English teacher Molly Dahlquist said that the transition was difficult because so much new information was sprung on students.
“We probably could have approached it differently to help students understand what that meant, what the skills were, because teachers have been working with skills for, like, a year and a half, so we were more familiar with them,” Dahlquist said. “It was like we expected students to catch up real fast. We probably could have offered some different kinds of learning sessions for students, specifically about how scales are going to change the way that we teach and assess.”
As the transition takes place, the goal is that the system will focus on taking ownership of learning from teacher-led to student-led. This has helped many students as they adjust.
“CBE is easier to understand for me; it makes me feel like I’m in control of my grade and my learning pace,” sophomore Terri Evans said. “I think it will help my learning. I think it shifted my way of thinking when it comes to school, I can manage my assignments better.”
While there have been plenty of students who have started the transition with earnest intent, Math teacher Yancey Temple has also noticed that as the school has transitioned to this new model, some students are trying to find ways to manipulate the grading system.
“From what I’ve seen, students aren’t practicing as much as before. We’re only trying to do one thing and say, I know it, and we’re not doing any practice. But when it comes to the test, they do very poorly on it, and then they figure out, oh, I’ve gotta go back and try something different,” Temple said.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, CBE emphasizes mastery and growth, allowing students to advance when they demonstrate proficiency in key areas. This is particularly beneficial for students who may need extra time or support to fully grasp certain concepts, as it allows them to focus on the areas where they need the most attention.
“I very much believe that’s the right direction to go, to focus on the standards to be mastered instead of some arbitrary A or B. But we’ve gotten some critical feedback, and some people are struggling with that transition. So I do believe that CBE can revolutionize the work that we’re doing,” Kilbride said.
For students, CBE allows for more meaningful learning experiences. Rather than moving on to the next unit or lesson because the class is scheduled to do so, students are given the chance to fully understand and apply what they’ve learned before moving forward. This leads to deeper, more sustained learning and better long-term outcomes.”
r those students who are ready to move on to the next levels of learning, we will be able to get kids through higher levels of curriculum faster. And for students that struggle with learning, we’re able to be much more targeted about the standards that they haven’t mastered, and we’re able to target supports for that,” Kilbride said.
As a result, Ritenour has become a district where the success of every student is measured by their individual growth and mastery, rather than by a traditional grading system. In an era where education is becoming increasingly personalized, Ritenour’s adoption of CBE places it at the forefront of a new wave of educational practices.
“CBE has helped me see and understand the concepts of what we’re taught in a course better. I used to think only about assignments individually. I was aware that each assignment corresponded to a particular unit, but I never thought about how an assignment would help my understanding of a topic. I was only concerned about how my grade on an assignment would affect my overall grade in the course,” sophomore Giana Fouche said. “CBE has forced me to shift my mindset. Being able to see the scales allows me to connect the assignment to the concept, which helps me focus on my understanding of it rather than just how one assignment will affect my grade.
CONTINUING TO ADD
The growth of the Ritenour School District over the past 15 years has been consistent and intentional. From the opening of the Early Childhood Center to the district’s embrace of new technology, inclusion initiatives, and competency-based education, Ritenour leaders believe they have transformed into a forward-thinking, student-centered district that is preparing its students for a future full of opportunity. It even continues to add, with programs like JROTC for students who wish to go into the military after high school.
“I think students define themselves by programs that they’re a part of, and it just fills me with pride when I see members of the JROTC program marching in their uniforms or being a part of their groups up here because they’re forming an identity around that program. That identity may carry them on to enlisting in the military after graduating from Ritenour High School, which is a very purposeful, positive career path,” Kilbride said.
The district leadership has made it a goal to evolve with the changing needs of its students, families, and the broader community. As a result, Kilbride believes that the school is constantly looking to enact what is in the best interest of each of the students, so that they can become productive members of society.
“We hope that we graduate students. They head off into one of the three E’s, whether that’s enrollment in college, enlistment in the military, or employment in the world of work, and they return to buy a home here and raise a family,” Kilbride said.
