Kidapawan City was created by virtue of Republic Act No. 8500 signed by President Fidel Valdez Ramos on February 12, 1998, making it a component city of the Province of Cotabato with Mayor Luis Paña Malaluan as the first City Mayor of Kidapawan.

In line with the cityhood of Kidapawan came the birth of DepEd Kidapawan City Division. It was conceived as an interim city division on February 16, 1999 with Dr. Gloria M. Mudanza as the Schools Division Superintendent and Ma. Rosa C. Gutierrez, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent.

Kidapawan City is known as the “City of Fruits and Highland Springs” under the 2^nd Legislative District Province of North Cotabato. The total land area is 340.07 km² (131.30 sq. mi) with a total population of 125,447 (2010).

Kidapawan City has forty (40) barangays under its geopolitical jurisdiction composed of fifty three (53) elementary schools under five districts, sixteen (16) public secondary schools and eight (8) integrated schools under three zones. There are twenty two (22) private kindergarten schools, thirteen (13) private elementary schools and eight (8) private secondary schools strategically located in the city.

What We Must Build On?

The Division performances are gauged on total enrolment for all levels, Net Enrolment Rate (NER) and Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), Cohort Survival Rate (CSR), Dropout, Completion Rate (CR), and Quality Learning Management which includes National Achievement Test (NAT) and other indicators.

Science, Mathematics, English, Filipino, MAPEH, Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP), Research (Action Research), Guidance and Counselling, and Scholarship and other areas and units of the Division project part of the vision and mission of Kidapawan City Division in pursuit for better role and performance within the range of educating the youth for a better tomorrow. On one hand, the main objective of the division programs and projects is to present innovations in teaching and better learning output for the Filipino learner. On the other hand, it is a mandatory requirement for all division supervisors/coordinators to prepare annual accomplishment reports to substantiate progress and development in the advent of the K to 12 implementation and adapt to changes the system has instituted in order to put in place the programs and projects of education in the country.

Kidapawan City has issued Division Memo to all District Supervisors, School Heads, and Teachers to prepare and submit an action research before December 2014.  This is to ensure that teachers will be able to prepare their action research in the district; school-based action research for school heads and classroom-based action research for teachers.

Kidapawan City Division has required all teachers and school heads to conduct individual action researches in classroom and other school-related problems. This is to evaluate and assess the direction of teacher’s intervention including internal and external threats and weaknesses. Action research is a mandate to address pressing problems in the field of education that needs to be addressed as it affects the academic performance of the students and teachers.

The scholarship program are classified either Full Scholarship (FS), Partial Scholarship (PS), Private Education Student Financial Assistance (PESFA), GRANTS –IN-AID (GIA), Tulong Dunong and Study Now Pay Later Plan (SNPL).