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Board reviews bond projects at October study session

October 05, 2010

At its October study session the board received the final report from the 2006 bond issue, a quarterly report for the 2009 bond, a status update on the 2009 bond projects as well as program evaluations for health services and alternative education programs.

All projects from the 2006 bond have been completed, and, as a whole, the total came in approximately $300,00 under the authorized $96.5 million total. A complete list of projects is available here. The initial $96.5 million issued for the 2006 bond generated additional funds, and the decision was made to spend those funds on more facility improvements including air conditioning at Bowerman, Campbell and Shady Dell; work on the track at JFK Stadium and to pay a portion of the cost for the new Hickory Hills. Deciding early to complete 5 additional projects, before all expenditures were finalized, has resulted in the district spending about 1.7 percent more than was generated by the bond.  

Read Dr. Ridder's statement on the 2006 bond projects here. 

The air conditioning project at Jarrett Middle School is approximately 90 percent complete, and the air conditioning project at Reed Middle Schools is approximately 75 percent complete. Both projects are expected to be finished during the spring semester of 2011. Air conditioning projects at Boyd, Phelps, Robberson, Rountree, Sunshine, Tefft and York are currently in the design phase, with work expected to begin in May 2011.

Status updates for Westport renovation, Jeffries Elementary all-purpose room addition and the other bond projects are available in the report along with current financial information.

More than 9,100 students received flu vaccinations last year through the district’s health services department. In 2008-2009, 547 SPS students received flu vaccinations at the school site. Increasing the number of students receiving flu vaccination through onsite clinics was one of three main goals for health services last year. Reducing the number of medical absences was another program goal, assisted in large part through the provision of flu vaccinations. Last year, despite the H1N1 outbreak that forced one district elementary school to close for three days, SPS had a 94.1 percent attendance rate, down from just four-tenths of a percent from the year before.

Students participating in the district’s alternative education programs continue to show positive gains. Discipline referrals declined among students in the Alternative Intervention Middle School and the Positive Alternatives for Learning Success (grades 2-5) program.

The most successful alternative education program was Middle College, a partnership with Ozarks Technical Community College. Middle College This program provides a contemporary, academic pathway for Springfield Public Schools students to earn a high school diploma and college credits while developing career and technical skills to facilitate a seamless transition to the workforce or post-secondary education. It serves underperforming students that are perceived to have greater academic abilities and could achieve at a higher level than his or her present performance but for an array of internal or external reasons is not reaching his/her potential.

Middle College enrollment has increased from 45 to 76 students since last year. The first class of students to complete Middle College graduated in the spring of 2010. Of the 20 students graduating in the spring, 6 made the President’s List and Dean’s List at OTC and completed an average of 17 college credits per student.

In addition to the bond reports and program evaluations, the board considered policy changes concerning emergency school closings, dual enrollment/dual credit, student insurance, admission of students and graduation exercises. Each of these revisions bring board policies into line with current district practices. The board will vote on these policy revisions at its October regular session.

Administration presented the board with a recommendation for the selection of Aramark Corporation to provide management and consulting services for the district custodial department effective November 1, 2010 thorugh October 31, 2011. The board will vote on that recommendation at its October regular session.

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