Tuesday was the start of classes for Columbia Public Schools as teachers, administrators and school staff welcomed more than 18,000 students for the 2026-27 academic year.  
The newest school, Eagle Bluffs Elementary School, celebrated the first day of its first year. Backpack-wearing students followed parents into the school in southwest Columbia. Some held onto their parents’ hands until the last moment, while others ran ahead, barely containing their excitement.  
“Truman!” one student yelled as Truman the Tiger greeted students outside the entrance alongside members of the University of Missouri’s Golden Girls.

Across the district’s four high schools, seven middle schools, 22 elementary schools and several other school facilities including the Columbia Area Career Center, total first day enrollment was 18,430, according to a district news release. Official enrollment is set on the last Wednesday of September.   
Meanwhile, at Eagle Bluffs on Tuesday morning, staff members directed traffic as a drop-off line formed in front of the school on South Sinclair Road.  
“Don’t worry, Mama, we’ll take care of him,” Sarah Sicht, the principal of Eagle Bluffs, told a parent while directing the line.

Abigail Goddard was starting fifth grade. “Maybe (what) I’m most excited for is either math class or recess,” she said.   
Abigail’s family moved from Virginia a few weeks ago, and she said she hasn’t been to public school since second grade. “I’m pretty excited because in my old school, every single grade was one classroom, and now there’s so many different classrooms that are all the same grade,” she said.

Isabelle See, a kindergarten classroom aide, stood outside directing traffic. “I think they’re really excited,” See said of the kids, “but it’s always nervous when you’re not just going into a new grade but a new environment.”

Samantha Schoennoehl has a son in sixth grade at nearby John Warner Middle School and a daughter in first grade at Eagle Bluffs. “We’ve been very excited to watch it come to the first day,” said Schoennoehl, who was dropping off her daughter.   
Some parents carried bags of extra school supplies. And some students were already sporting gear featuring the Griffon, the school’s mascot.  
Kaitlyn Wulff, the PTA president for Eagle Bluffs, described the school as a blank slate. “We have a lot of very eager parents, so I’m hoping that we can kind of take that energy and make some great traditions,” Wulff said.

Sicht, who was the principal at Benton STEM Elementary School before moving to Eagle Bluffs, said she’s been waiting for this day for a really long time.  
“I’m really glad to see my vision, our vision, happen,” she said. “So it’s a great day — a great day to be a Griffon.”   
She said the school was built with the kids in mind, and they want to make the school the best place for learning.  
“I just love this place,” Sicht said. “I’m really glad to be here.”  
The district's first day of school did have at least one unexpected challenge. A city water main break that closed the Columbia Public Library also affected Grant Elementary School. The water was turned off at the school at Broadway and Garth Avenue, and bottled water was brought in, district spokesperson Michelle Baumstark said. The district also has a procedure for meal prep and to keep bathrooms functioning. Water service was restored later Tuesday.

On Monday, as part of the district’s annual Jump Start Day, sixth graders and ninth graders visited their middle and high schools without other students there to get a feel for their new buildings and figure out where their classes are.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/k12\_education/great-day-to-be-a-griffon-eagle-bluffs-elementary-opens-with-new-energy/article\_b185225e-7ce0-45ed-855e-716b129925d8.html

'Great day to be a Griffon': Eagle Bluffs Elementary opens with new energy