Building a Home for La Petite Ecole

For more than 20 years, La Petite Ecole has given children a wider world.

Now, the school needs a home of its own.

For over two decades, La Petite Ecole has created an extraordinary sense of home in space it does not own. That borrowed space has helped the school begin and endure, but it cannot fully support the program’s long-term future. La Petite Ecole now needs a permanent home designed around how children learn — one that can protect what families love, support responsible growth, deepen programming, and provide lasting stability.

A permanent campus can give La Petite Ecole the foundation to move from a beloved small school in borrowed space to an enduring educational institution. It can:

  • Provide stability for students, families, teachers, and programs

  • Create room to welcome more children over time

  • Offer spaces designed for art, reading, performance, food, nature, and community

  • Strengthen the school’s visibility and identity in Columbia

  • Protect a distinctive dual-language program for future generations

  • Create new possibilities for community partnerships and cultural programming

Together, we can give La Petite Ecole a permanent home and ensure that dual-language, multicultural education remains part of Mid-Missouri for generations to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • For more than 20 years, the school has created an extraordinary sense of home in leased space. A permanent, purpose-designed home would protect the close relationships and personal learning families value while providing stability, supporting responsible growth, and creating dedicated spaces for art, reading, gatherings, outdoor learning, and community connections.

  • The current concept is an approximately 11,000-square-foot freestanding school on about 1 ½ acres. Preliminary plans include 12 classrooms, a multipurpose room, kitchen, administrative offices, library, art room, playground, and small community garden. The design is not yet final

  • The current working estimate is $5 million. That number is preliminary and will be refined as the school confirms the site, design, construction costs, furnishings, professional fees, contingency, and related project expenses.

How can I help?

La Petite Ecole began with one educator’s passion for language and culture. It has endured because families and teachers saw what that vision could mean for children. A permanent home will allow that vision to grow — not by losing the intimacy and relationships that make the school special, but by securing them for generations to come.

Ways to Give