January 16th, 2026 Local News
Farmington, Mo. (KFMO) - The Farmington R-7 School District has announced that Superintendent Dr. Kyle Gibbs has tendered his resignation and will conclude his service at the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
District officials say Dr. Gibbs has accepted the superintendent position with the Northwest R-I School District in House Springs, Mo. He shared that the move represents a professional next step as he approaches the final stage of his 27-year career in public education.
Raised on a farm near Viburnum, Mo., Dr. Gibbs credits his upbringing with instilling a strong work ethic and an early appreciation for the value of education. He holds a dual major in elementary and special education from Evangel University, along with advanced degrees in educational administration and leadership from Southwest Baptist University.
Throughout his career in Missouri’s education system, Dr. Gibbs has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal at multiple school levels. Among his notable achievements, he transformed a low-performing school into a 2019 Exemplary Professional Learning Community recognized for its STEAM integration while serving as a principal in the Hannibal School District.
Before joining Farmington R-7, Dr. Gibbs served as superintendent of the Crawford County R-1 School District in Bourbon, Mo., where he led the opening of a state-of-the-art science, agriculture, and STEM facility. His leadership earned him recognition as the 2022 Missouri Association of School Administrators Outstanding Emerging Superintendent for the South Central region. He has also served as an adjunct professor and consultant specializing in school strategic planning.
During his tenure in Farmington, Dr. Gibbs led district-wide initiatives centered on clarity, connection, and student readiness. District officials say he intentionally elevated student voice, expanded community partnerships, and strengthened district communications to enhance transparency and trust with staff, families, and the broader community.
Dr. Gibbs has remained highly visible across all eight school campuses and throughout the community, regularly interacting with students, staff, families, and community members. He has emphasized that education is a calling to serve others and that leadership should be purposeful and guided by integrity.
The district says Dr. Gibbs will continue to serve fully as superintendent through the remainder of the school year. He will remain engaged in daily district operations, continue leading executive and leadership team meetings, assist with annual budget and staffing planning, and prepare materials to support a smooth leadership transition. He will also collaborate with his successor once selected, while spending some time on entry planning in his next district.
The Farmington R-7 Board of Education will begin discussing the superintendent search process in the coming days, including the selection of a search firm and the development of a timeline. Once finalized, the district says that information will be shared with staff, families, and the community.
The Board of Education says it remains committed to a thoughtful and transparent process to ensure strong leadership and continuity for the Farmington R-7 School District moving forward.