Frequently Asked Questions about Springfield Public Schools
Springfield Public Schools believes it is of the upmost importance to keep our stakeholders informed with accurate and up-to-date information about their schools. There is plenty of information out there, floating around on the grapevine or mentioned in the media, and it can sometimes be confusing or misleading. The following list of questions and answers represent some of the most commonly asked about academics, fiscal management and other issues concerning the district.
Do you have a question about Springfield Public Schools that you would like to have answered? If so, email your question or call the Community Relations Office at (417) 523-INFO.
2010-2011 Budget Development
What’s the status of the revenue and budget situation for the current school year?
What happens if there is a reduction from revenue sources for the current year?
I thought SPS was supported by local property tax revenues; why are state cuts affecting the budget?
Has SPS made cuts anticipating declining revenues?
What does the revenue picture for 2010-2011 look like?
Why can’t SPS just hold operating expenditures at the same level as 2009-2010 rather than make budget cuts?
Will SPS pursue a levy increase this year?
When will the board approve a budget for 2010-2011?
Will the public have the chance to provide input on the proposed budget?
Will cuts mean larger class sizes in my school?
Fiscal Responsibility
How did the district pay for the new Hickory Hills School?
Will SPS use general operating funds to pay for bond debt?
How does number of administrators at SPS compare with other schools?
Do Springfield residents pay a higher tax levy than neighboring communities?
Academics
What is the district’s graduation rate?
What is the district’s dropout rate?
School Cancellations
What factors influence the district's decision to cancel school?
Who makes the decision to cancel school due to bad weather?
When and how is the decision announced?
Why does SPS have school when other area schools dismiss due to the weather?
Will SPS cancel school due to extreme temperatures?
Why doesn’t SPS implement delayed start times on days when conditions are unfavorable in the morning but may improve before dismissal time?
When school is closed are all other scheduled activities ( ballgames, practices, programs, etc.) cancelled for the day?
If school is cancelled, when will the day be made up?
Are there alternative programs available to students when school is cancelled?
Why doesn't the district change its transportation policy during inclement weather?
What should you do if your bus is late?
If parents choose to keep their child home from school when school is not cancelled, how will this affect the child's attendance?
Other questions
Are children required to have the H1N1 vaccination?
2010-2011 Budget Development
What’s the status of the revenue and budget situation for the current school year?
Current revenue projections indicate that SPS will be right at budget for the current year; this assumes that payments not yet received come in close to budget and the state does not make further funding cuts. An increase of about $800,000 in local property tax revenues should balance out an anticipated reduction of $830,000 in state sales tax and funding formula reductions. There are still several unknowns. The district is still waiting on significant payments from local, county, state and federal sources. The State Budget Director has indicated a possible reduction of 1.4% ($600,000) in current year state funding, though legislators have indicated support for continuing to fully fund the formula.
What happens if there is a reduction from revenue sources for the current year?
The district will make a mid-year adjustment to the budget, cutting spending to align with revenue reductions. SPS was forced to do this in the Spring of 2009.
I thought SPS was supported by local property tax revenues; why are state cuts affecting the budget?
While local property tax revenues do represent a significant portion of the district’s revenue, SPS receives more than 20% of its revenue from the state. The bulk of state funding comes via the foundation formula (including money generated through the lottery and casinos) and sales taxes. SPS also receives state funding for “categoricals” which include items such as transportation and Parents As Teachers.
Has SPS made cuts anticipating declining revenues?
The district planned for a difficult year in 2009-2010 by cutting $6.1 million from the budget, including personnel reductions, facility maintenance and improvements, professional development and curriculum. Cuts of about $4 million were also made near the end of the 2008-2009 school year.
What does the revenue picture for 2010-2011 look like?
For the 2010-2011 budget year, SPS projects a $700,000 increase in local tax revenue and a $300,000 decrease in sales tax revenue. Funding projections at the state level are more difficult to ascertain. The most recent information indicates a reduction of 2 to 4 percent in the state funding formula, which at 4 percent translates to a $400,000 decrease in the funding SPS receives from the state funding formula. A fully funded foundation formula would represent an increase of $1.4 million to SPS’ revenue.
The district’s projected operating revenue of $192,500,000 represents an increase of just $200,000 over current revenue.
Why can’t SPS just hold operating expenditures at the same level as 2009-2010 rather than make budget cuts?
Many of the increased expenditures are outside of the district’s control. Some of the known increases to expenditures for 2010-2011 include retirement benefits (the state is increasing the required contributions to the retirement system), legal fees and utility costs.
Will SPS pursue a levy increase this year?
There are no plans to ask voters to approve an increase to the district’s operating levy. SPS is committed to operating on existing resources next year, and the district will first look at budget cuts to deal with increased expenses and decreased revenue for the 2010-2011 school year.
When will the board approve a budget for 2010-2011?
The board identified several key assumptions at their Feb. 16 regular meeting that will guide administration in the development of a preliminary budget or budgets that will be presented at the board’s March 16 regular meeting. From there, the board will decide whether or not to have a special work session dedicated to the budget. The board must adopt a final budget by June 30, 2010. The budget calendar is available here.
Will the public have the chance to provide input on the proposed budget?
Yes. The district will solicit public input in order to further refine the final budget.
Will cuts mean larger class sizes in my school?
We do not know the answer to that question yet. A preliminary, “first draft” of the 2010-2011 budget is currently being developed, and the board will provide further input at their March meeting.
Fiscal responsibility
How did the district pay for the new Hickory Hills School?
The board approved the construction of the new Hickory Hills school in the fall of 2006. The need for a new facility was identified because of safety and traffic concerns at the school’s former location at the intersection of Highway 65 and Chestnut Expressway. To pay for the project, the board issued a lease-purchase agreement valued at $19.5 million.
Wise investment of the $96.5 million from the bond issue approved by voters in April 2006 and effective management of construction projects associated with the bond resulted in $16 million in additional funding. The board approved the decision to use $10.8 million of that money toward paying down the lease purchase agreement for Hickory Hills. (Additional revenue from the 2006 bond was also used to air condition Bowerman, Campbell and Shady Dell schools, on top of completing all projects proposed in the 2006 bond). Paying down the lease purchase for Hickory Hills reduced the annual payment from $1.5 million to $650,000. The remaining $9 million of the Hickory Hills lease purchase agreement will be paid for through the $50 million no-tax-increase bond approved by 65% of Springfield voters in November 2009.
Will SPS use general operating funds to pay for bond debt?
No. It is illegal for school districts in Missouri to use funds from their operating levy to pay toward their debt service levy. Bonds are issued, with voter approval, to pay for major capital projects in the district. Bond debt is paid for through the district’s debt service levy, which is 31 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The operating levy pays for the day-to-day operational needs of the school district. Operating funds can be used for a lease financing payments. Bond funds and the debt service levy may not be used for operational expenses.
How does number of administrators at SPS compare with other schools?
Springfield Public Schools currently has a ratio of 279 students per administrator, an increase from a ratio of 254 students per administrator in 2008. That ratio is larger than comparably sized school districts in the state. Rockwood’s student to administrator ratio is 210:1; Hazelwood, 215:1; North Kansas City, 182:1; Columbia, 222:1.
Do Springfield residents pay a higher tax levy than neighboring communities?
Springfield Public Schools has an operating levy of $3.1123 and a debt service levy of $0.51 for a total levy of $3.6223 per $100 of assessed valuation. That rate is lower than any district surrounding Springfield except for Strafford, according to data reported to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Of the 22 school districts in the state of Missouri with 8,000 students or more, Springfield has the third lowest total tax levy.
Academics
What’s the district’s graduation rate?
Graduation rate calculates the percent of students who graduate with their scheduled graduating class. Last year, Springfield Public Schools had a graduation rate of 81 percent.
What is the district’s dropout rate?
The district’s dropout rate was 5.8 percent for the 2008-2009 academic year. Dropout rate is the percentage of students as part of the total enrollment in grades 9-12 who quit school.
School Cancellations
What factors influence the district's decision to cancel school?
We try to keep our schools open as scheduled as much as possible. However, there are times when weather conditions cause us to cancel school for the safety of our 24,000 students. We do not make that decision lightly because we understand cancelling school can create difficulties for families.
There are a number of things to consider when determining whether to have school during inclement weather. Some of those include the condition of area roads; school safety issues such as parking lots, sidewalks and roofs; bus fleet condition; and weather forecast for the remainder of the day.
Who makes the decision to cancel school due to bad weather?
A group comprised of individuals representing transportation, school police services and facilities evaluate relevant factors and make a recommendation to the superintendent about whether to close school.
When and how is the decision announced?
The district makes every effort to decide whether to cancel school by 5 a.m. so that parents can be alerted as soon as possible. The news media is notified immediately. Parents will be directly notified via an AlertNow telephone message by 6 a.m. Parents must be signed up to receive the AlertNow notification. If they did not complete the AlertNow Student Information Form at the beginning of the school year, they may obtain one online and return it to their child's school.
Cancellations are also announced through l the district's web site and e-mail to individuals who have signed up for the district's E-Newsletter. Individuals may also call the School Closing Line at 523-0110.
Why does SPS have school when other area schools dismiss due to the weather?
Each school district must evaluate its own conditions. The number of rural roads, lack of street maintenance, etc., can make the safety of travel vary from one district to another even when they are in close geographic proximity.
Will SPS cancel school due to extreme temperatures?
Typically SPS does not cancel school due to extreme temperatures alone. However, the Springfield-Greene County Health Department recommends SPS consider closing schools when there is a wind chill warning (wind chill of -25 degrees or colder) combined with the presence of snow and/or ice making sidewalks and roadways unsafe.
Why doesn’t SPS implement delayed start times on days when conditions are unfavorable in the morning but may improve before dismissal time?
For many of our families, it is difficult to adjust work schedules or find child care for just a few hours in the morning. A delayed start can also make it difficult for working parents with students who are not eligible for bus transportation to get their children to school later than the routine start time.
When school is closed are all other scheduled activities ( ballgames, practices, programs, etc.) cancelled for the day?
On days when school is not in session there are no student-related activities in the school buildings, including programs such as PrimeTime and SPARC. However, some athletic activities may continue as scheduled depending on changing weather conditions, distance of travel, departure times and location. Activity cancellations are posted at www.springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org as they are announced.
If school is cancelled, when will the day be made up?
SPS builds into its school calendar six make-up days. If more than six make-up days are necessary, a decision will be made in early spring about additional make-up days. For 2009-2010 school year, the last day of school is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8, 2010. School could be dismissed as early as Friday, May 28, 2010, if there are no cancellations.
Are there alternative programs available to students when school is cancelled?
Several community agencies offer snow-day activities for children when SPS is not in session. Two includeSpringfield-Greene County Park Board (891-1635), and Ozarks Regional YMCA.
Why doesn't the district change its transportation policy during inclement weather?
Offering transportation to students during inclement weather who normally do not qualify for transportation would be logistically difficult. The district does not have enough buses or drivers to transport more than the 6,500 students who qualify for transportation on a daily basis. The current bus fleet operates at capacity.
What should you do if your bus is late?
If your regular bus is 30 minutes late, students should return home and contact the district transportation department at 523-0500.
If parents choose to keep their child home from school when school is not cancelled, how will this affect the child's attendance?
Children who are kept out of school will be counted absent. The district does not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. The only time a student is not counted absent is if they are out of school due to a school-sponsored activity.
Others
Are children required to have the H1N1 vaccination?
Springfield Public Schools is offering the H1N1 vaccine to all students, free of charge. To receive the vaccine, students must have written permission from their parents. Permission forms and vaccine information is sent home with students prior to the vaccination clinics at their school. Our influenza information page contains more details about the vaccine, tips for prevention and links to more information.