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June 13, 2007
Springfield Public Schools will hire five more high school teachers to help lower class size and five high school interventionists to prevent drop-outs, improve student performance and credit recovery and handle other student issues that keep assistant principals busy before and after school.
State funding recently approved for the district’s school-based clinician program will allow the district to reallocate about $878,000 in next year’s budget for the 10 positions, the school board learned during budget discussions Tuesday night.
The board held a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed $193 million operating budget, which will be approved June 26.
Also Tuesday night:
*The board received updates on building projects at Wilson’s Creek 5-6 School and Weller Elementary School. The addition of eight new Wilson’s Creek classrooms is nearly complete and is expected to come in $365,000 under budget. The addition and renovation at Weller is 45 percent complete. The new building should be occupied by October or early November.
The board approved the construction bid for the Cherokee Middle School project. Flintco’s bid came in $598,800 below the district’s $12 million project estimate. Construction on the two-year project should start this summer.
*The board authorized the Glendale High School Football Booster Club to begin private fundraising for construction of a “hyper-facility.” The facility will become part of the Lowe Stadium complex and provide indoor training and weight room for male and female athletes, coaches’ offices and a football locker room. Depending on fundraising, the $766,500 project will be built in two phases.
The board authorized the Kickapoo High School Booster Club to begin private fundraising for a men’s and women’s restroom and coach’s office that will also have a multi-purpose room, equipment storage space and a changing area. Projected cost of the Kickapoo project is $89,000-$120,000.
Both projects must be approved by the board before construction and donated to the school district upon completion.
*The board received an update on the first full year of its Wellness policy from Health Services Coordinator Jean Grabeel. With more nutritious foods and more emphasis on physical fitness, the district is taking measured steps to build support for the program.
For the second consecutive year, the board has been named a semi-finalist for the Missouri School Board Association’s “Outstanding Board of Education.” In 2006, the board was among five state finalists for the award.