Springfield Public Schools (Missouri)
Springfield Public Schools (SPS), also known as the Springfield R-12 School District, is a public school district headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, United States. With an official fall 2020 enrollment of 24,309[2] students attending 35 elementary schools, one intermediate schools, nine middle schools and five high schools, it is the largest public school district in the state of Missouri.[3] Public high schools located in Springfield include Central High School, Kickapoo High School, Hillcrest High School, Parkview High School, and Glendale High School.
| Springfield Public Schools | |
|---|---|
|  | |
| Location | |
| 1359 E. St. Louis Street Springfield, Missouri, 65802 | |
| District information | |
| Type | Public | 
| Grades | Pre K-12 | 
| Superintendent | Dr. Grenita Lathan | 
| Schools | 50 [1] | 
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 24,309 (2020) | 
| Staff | 3,500 | 
| Other information | |
| Website | www | 
History
    
It was established in 1868.[4] In 2018, as part of a plan to sell a bond issue to parents, the district hired architects to develop plans for new schools to show to parents.[5] In 2018, twelve of the district's schools had "secure vestibules" controlling entry, and the district was making efforts to establish more.[6]
Accomplishments
    
- SPS 4-year graduation rate for 2020 was 93.6%.
- SPS has the state's only K-12 International Baccalaureate program.
- The Springfield community has recently invested more than $168 million to improve its education facilities.
- They average teaching experience of their teachers about 12.1 years, and more than 62.9% of teachers have advanced degrees.[1]
Schools
    
| School Name | Type | 
|---|---|
| Central | High | 
| Hillcrest | High | 
| Glendale | High | 
| Kickapoo | High | 
| Parkview | High | 
| Carver | Middle | 
| Cherokee | Middle | 
| Jarrett | Middle | 
| Pipkin | Middle | 
| Reed | Middle | 
| Hickory Hills | K-8 | 
| Pershing | K-8 | 
| Pleasant View | K-8 | 
| Westport | K-8 | 
| Wilson's Creek | Intermediate | 
| Bingham | Elementary | 
| Bissett | Elementary | 
| Bowerman | Elementary | 
| Boyd | Elementary | 
| Cowden | Elementary | 
| Delaware | Elementary | 
| Disney | Elementary | 
| Field | Elementary | 
| Fremont | Elementary | 
| Gray | Elementary | 
| Harrison | Elementary | 
| Holland | Elementary | 
| Jeffries | Elementary | 
| Mann | Elementary | 
| McBride | Elementary | 
| McGregor | Elementary | 
| Pittman | Elementary | 
| Robberson | Elementary | 
| Rountree | Elementary | 
| Sequiota | Elementary | 
| Sherwood | Elementary | 
| Sunshine | Elementary | 
| Truman | Elementary | 
| Twain | Elementary | 
| Watkins | Elementary | 
| Weaver | Elementary | 
| Weller | Elementary | 
| Wilder | Elementary | 
| Williams | Elementary | 
| York | Elementary | 
| Campbell | Early Childhood Center | 
| Fulbright | Early Childhood Center | 
| Mallory | Early Childhood Center | 
| Shady Dell | Early Childhood Center | 
Demographics
    
The school district has seen a rise in the number of non white students in the past twenty years, in 2000 white enrollment was 90.8%, since that time it has dropped to 75.3%, the number of black and Asian students has doubled, and Latino students have more than tripled.[7]
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | 
|---|---|
| White | 75.3 | 
| Black/African American | 7.9 | 
| Hispanic/Latino | 6.8 | 
| Asian | 3.2 | 
| Multirace | 5.7 | 
| Native American/Pacific Islander | Approx. 1 | 
Superintendent
    
| Name | Start Date | End Date | 
|---|---|---|
| Willard Graff | 1952[8] | 1970[9] | 
| Joe Kuklenski | 1970[9] | 1981[10] | 
| Paul Hagerty | 1981[11] | 1992[12] | 
| Bud Greve (CEO)/ Conley Weiss(COO) | 1993[12] | 1996[12] | 
| Bud Greve | 1996[12] | 1999[12] | 
| Jack Ernst | 1999[13] | 2005[14] | 
| Norm Ridder | 2005[14] | 2014[14] | 
| John Jungmann | 2014[15] | 2021[15] | 
| Grenita Lathan | 2021[15] | Present | 
References
    
- "SPS - About Our District". Springfield Public Schools. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Riley, Claudette. "Springfield district enrollment drops by 1,397 students this fall". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "Springfield now largest Missouri school district". Springfield News-Leader. December 14, 2011.
- Riley, Claudette (August 14, 2018). "9 things to know as Springfield Public Schools starts its 151st year". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- Riley, Claudette (August 15, 2018). "Before SPS asks voters for money again, district turns to team of architects for ideas". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- Riley, Claudette (August 18, 2018). "Springfield district: In 37 of 51 school buildings, secure vestibule 'doesn't exist'". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- Riley, Claudette. "Amid growing diversity in SPS, change more rapid in certain schools". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
- "Willard J. Graff Quits City Board". Springfield News-Leader. December 2, 1952. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Hazelrigg, Larry (September 21, 1969). "Kuklenski to Review, Reshape Policies as 'Conditions Change'". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- "Superintendent: School Board picks Geogian with reputation as peacemaker". Springfield News-Leader. March 12, 1981. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Soric, Susan (May 8, 1981). "Schools chief stresses need for new funding". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Barnett, Jennifer (September 22, 1988). "Greve brought stability to position". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Malory, Arthur (September 28, 1999). "Good start essential to educational success". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Riley, Claudette (January 21, 2014). "Only 13 apply for SPS superintendent". Springfield News-Leader. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
- Pickle, Geoff (March 8, 2021). "SPS hires new superintendent". Springfield Business Journal. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
External links
    
- Springfield Public Schools
- Springfield Public Schools at the Wayback Machine (archive index)