Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School opened in August 1993, and today has more than 315 students enrolled in grades PK – 12. A Board of Trustees governs the school, and the school is directed by the Head of School. Students are engaged in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, with all students taking several Advanced Placement courses during their Upper School years. Extracurricular activities include performing and visual arts, academic and athletic competitions, field trips, and clubs. Enrollment at TJIDS is open to all, and financial aid is available to qualified students. The school awards more than $500,000 in financial aid annually to approximately 50 percent of the student population. In addition, significant privately funded merit-based scholarships are available. The school has graduated more than 300 students, with virtually all enrolling in four-year institutions immediately following graduation. School Community TJIDS is located in Joplin, Missouri, a community of 50,000. The "greater Joplin area" has a reported population of 250,000. The community is the economic center of a four-state area (Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma). The quality of its work force, cost of housing, low cost and availability of energy, and general hospitality to commerce and industry make Joplin and Southwest Missouri a thriving area. Dominant industries are furniture components manufacturing (Leggett & Platt), building product manufacturing (TAMKO), food processing (Tyson Foods, Hudson Foods, Butterball Turkey), and trucking (Con-Way Truckload). Joplin is a medical center for the region, with two hospitals and more than 400 physicians serving the area. Accreditation and Membership Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States.