Though the school did not pirate faculty, it was a firm plan to take academically able students from public schools, where they were not reaching their full potential anyway. The first students, other than UT professors' children, were found by calling families of honor students. (Lists were available from PTA presidents and from public schools.) After the school's reputation was established, we often had more applications than we could accommodate. Parents and students learned about Kirby Hall by word of mouth, always our best way of advertising the quality of our school. (There are also red and white bumper stickers and occasional open houses.)
Kirby Hall students, chosen from the brightest and kindest, have done well. One high moment was a graduating class of five National Merit Finalists and three honors students. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills has always proved Kirby Hall well above national average and the scores in Interscholastic League contests and the Private School Interscholastic Association have showed Kirby Hall to be at the top academically. For three years now we have won first in the state for elementary academics in the PSIA. Julio De La Llata, Spanish teacher of all levels since 1985, recently reported one 10th grader making a 5, the highest possible mark on the Spanish achievement test, which would earn 22 college hours of A's. An 8th grader made a 4 in the same achievement test. Our accreditation association, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, cites Kirby Hall as being able to teach students to be high achievers.