A long driveway off Highway 40 in Columbia leads to Midway Heights, a school that principal Anne Billington describes as “a big city with a small town feel.”
At Midway Heights, high expectations for Billington’s “kiddos” are placed on academics and behavior. Those standards are upheld with the help of, not only the teachers, but also with the involvement of parents and community members.
“I like the small community,” said Trish Redig, a first-grade teacher.
Redig said she has a list of parents that come in to read to the students, make copies of handouts or help put together materials for her lessons.
The school promotes achievement in education by centering on five keys to success: be safe, be respectful, be responsible, be positive and always do your best.

Students at Midway Heights have raised canned goods and non-perishables for the Central Missouri Food Bank.
Walking down any hallway at school, bulletin boards and hall walls are complete with decorations from students, many which advertise one of the keys to success.
Billington said that if a student is struggling or making a wrong decision, teachers and parents ask them whether they are following those five keys.
“We do not have a lot of serious discipline problems,” Billington said. “We start the high expectations on day one with every student.”
Glance into any of the classrooms and anyone can see the teachers’ use of the newly purchased, white smart boards. Money raised by the PTA at Midway Heights paid for the new boards.

Midway Heights has a program, called Buddy Pack, where select students are sent home with a backpack filled with snacks and other non-perishable items.
“Our PTA is fantastic,” Billington said. “They also purchased two laptop sets for the classrooms.”
Technology is incorporated into every classroom with a number of class computers and a computer lab in the school library that teachers may access at any point during the year.
The camaraderie of the parents and faculty reflects positively on the progress the school makes.
“The faculty really works with each other,” said Diana Cooksey, a special learning teacher at Midway Heights.
With 300 students, kindergarten through fifth grade, Midway Heights stands at a 25-to-1 student-teacher ratio, Billington said.
“We’re busting at the seams,” Billington said.
Parents, teachers and members of the community helped to rearrange the school recently in order to make room for two more classrooms. Billington said the teachers lost some preparation areas, but that they are comfortable enough with space.
Additionally, the school recently transitioned 28 transfer students from the No Child Left Behind Act.
“They are a nice addition to the school,” said Lottie Creasy, a kindergarten teacher.
Midway Heights is one of only five elementary schools in the Columbia area that made the adequate yearly progress required by the state in regards to the No Child Left Behind Act. Midway Heights is joined by Fairview, Two Mile Prairie, New Haven and Ridgeway elementary schools in meeting proficiency standards.