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.
General
How do I determine which school my child will attend?
How do I enroll my child in 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?
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?
General
How do I determine which school my child will attend?
VersaTrans e-Link will assist you in determining which school your child will attend, the bus stop location, and pickup and drop off times for your child.
A couple of tips...
- Zip code is a required field and must be entered correctly to receive boundary/busing information.
- If a home street is not found, suggested matches will be given. Once you choose one from the drop-down menu, be sure to click the “Use Selected Match” link.
You can also contact Transportation at (417) 523-0500.
How do I enroll my child in school?
Enrollment takes about 30 minutes and must be done in person at the school where your child will attend. Read more about how to enroll and what you will need.
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. Springfield Public Schools had a graduation rate of 82.8 percent in 2011.
What is the district’s dropout rate?
The district’s dropout rate was 2.7 percent in 2011. 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.
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?
As of Feb. 10, SPS has missed six school days due to inclement weather. 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. As of Feb. 10, the last day of school is scheduled to be Tuesday, June 7, which is also a two-hour early release day for students.
When inclement weather forces a school district to cancel school more than six days, there is a provision in state statute which exempts school districts from making up all of those days and caps at 10 the number of days that must be made up. According to statute, a school district must make up the first six days missed due to inclement weather then it is required to make up only alternating days missed until it reaches a total of 10 make-up days.
For example, a school district that misses a total of 14 snow days would have to make up the first six days plus days 7, 9, 11 and 13. Days 8, 10, 12 and 14 would be forgiven.
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.