At a Tuesday meeting, Springfield district officials outlined plans to redraw three attendance boundaries. They involve one middle school, one K-8 building and six elementary schools.
The potential shifts, which must be approved by the school board, were based upon a 2023 demographic study , close monitoring of residential development, school building capacity and utilization levels, school feeder patterns, and input from school principals.
"The purpose of all this work is to ensure we're providing our students with quality educational spaces and resources," said Bruce Douglas, chief information officer for Springfield Public Schools.
The moves are intended to add students in buildings that are underutilized and reduce the number of students at schools that are at or near capacity. Douglas said the goal is for schools to operate at 80-85% of capacity so they are nimble enough to handle enrollment fluctuations.
"We really want to aim for a sweet spot in the utilization of our spaces," he said.
Douglas said overcrowding can result in higher class sizes and the use of nontraditional spaces, including hallways and work rooms, being used as learning spaces.
"Overcrowding can really impact the quality of the educational space but under-utilizing the space can also impact those unbalanced class sizes and also impact the availability of our support resources."
If approved, the following attendance boundary changes will be made at the start of the 2025-26 year:
- Students who live in western part of the Mann Elementary attendance area will be assigned to Jeffries. Mann is at nearly 97% capacity and Jeffries stands at just under 74%. If approved, the change will impact 25 students, who would become eligible for busing with the move;
- Students who attend Bissett Elementary will go to Pipkin for middle school instead of Westport, which is a K-8 building. Pipkin is at nearly 68% capacity and Westport is at 74% but is expected to grow. The change will impact 54 students but all will remain eligible for busing due to a barrier street;
- Students assigned to attend Sunshine Elementary but who live south of Sunshine Street will be split between Twain and Holland. Sunshine is operating at 102% capacity compared to 80% at Holland and nearly 87% at Twain. If approved, the change will impact 44 students at Sunshine and 15 at Holland. Those students, currently eligible for busing due to a barrier street, will no longer be eligible.
The board is expected to vote on the changes as early as Oct. 22. If approved, letters will be sent to the families.
Douglas said the district will not be automatically "grandfathering in" affected students who want to remain in their current school.
Their families can request a transfer to remain at the school or go to a different one, if space is available. The district has open enrollment and there is a window each year for requesting transfers to a school other than the one the student is assigned to attend.
"They'll be able to complete that transfer process and we'll be providing that information to those parents who are impacted," he said.
Stephen Hall, chief communications officer, said the district also plans to have information meetings in November so parents can ask questions.
Douglas said a facility master plan with an updated demographic study will be needed before any future bond proposals.
Last year, the board voted to close Robberson and Pershing elementary schools . Robberson students were assigned to Boyd starting this school year and students in the elementary at Pershing, which is part of a K-8 campus, will be split between Field and Wilder.
Top district officials said Tuesday that no school closures are currently being considered and no additional elementary boundary changes have been proposed.
Superintendent Grenita Lathan said while no closures are anticipated, that may be revisited if there is "some drastic issues with ... state finances as it relates to funding public schools."
Committee to review middle school boundaries
In the coming months, the district wants to examine its middle school boundaries.
Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of operations, presented a proposal asking the board to create an advisory committee that can look at the attendance areas for Carver, Cherokee, Hickory Hills, Jarrett, Pershing, Pipkin, Pleasant View, Reed and Westport.
"We want to ask the board to approve this recommendation so we can further review middle school boundary adjustments," he said.
If approved, the committee members will be asked to attend up to six 90-minute meetings between December 2024 and March 2025. The work group will present a report to the board in April 2025 and any changes enacted by the board would start during the 2026-27 year or after.
Shaw said the committee will engage the board, middle schools parents and staff, and community members. He said it may be as large as 30 people and bring in experts from the district and beyond to provide information and answer questions.
Three of the middle schools are expected to go through major changes while the process plays out. Projects funded by a $220 million bond issue will impact Reed, Pershing and Pipkin.
More: Proposal: SPS wants to expand busing next year to serve 1,100 more students
A new Reed Academy of Fine and Performing Arts is currently under construction on the Reed campus. Pershing, still operating as a K-8 building, will either be renovated or rebuilt to serve grades 6-8.
A new Pipkin will be constructed on new land, near its existing campus, starting next year.
Shaw said the district is tentatively scheduled to finalize its purchase of land from the Assemblies of God general council for the new Pipkin in late January.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SPS wants to redraw boundary lines, changing attendance areas for 8 schools
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