 Education in the community dates to before the Civil War, but many records indicating the exact date were lost in an 1861 fire at the county clerk's office.In 1889, what might be considered the first modern-style school, a large 2-story building, was erected at a cost of $13,000 By 1909, Keytesville school was rated a first-class school by the state of Missouri.In 1949, a large number of the rural schools were combined with Keytesville to form the current district.