SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) - Missouri's third-largest city is now home to the state's biggest public school district.
The Springfield News-Leader reports (http://sgfnow.co/t4DDrP ) that official enrollment figures show the Springfield district with 24,366 students. The newspaper says that's about 1,800 more than the St. Louis district, and roughly 9,000 more than Kansas City.
Kansas City has Missouri's highest population, but it's also spread among three counties and encompasses more than a dozen school districts.
Springfield superintendent Norm Ridder credits what he calls "affordable housing, comfortable neighborhoods and good schools" for population growth in parts of the southwestern Missouri city. Ridder says rising population has led to an overall increase in enrollment.
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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com