Springfield school board unified in support of boundary changes, busing expansion (2024)

The Springfield school board presented a united front Tuesday, unanimously backing a series of attendance boundary shifts that involve eight buildings.

Despite strong support for the changes — aimed at alleviating overcrowding and expanding busing — board members said they felt compassion for upset parents, primarily from Mann Elementary, who spoke against the shifts planned for the 2025-26 year.

"These things are, of course, never easy because they always do have very real, tangible impacts on individuals," said board member Kelly Byrne. "Unfortunately, we have to make decisions that are best for the district as a whole."

Springfield school board unified in support of boundary changes, busing expansion (1)

Several board members directed their pre-vote comments to the parents in the audience or shared personal stories of moving their children to different schools.

"It can cause families to grieve that and that is hard," said board vice president Judy Brunner.

Brunner said the proposed changes, made public Oct. 8, were neither hasty nor last-minute. She said the need to review and alter attendance boundaries started before the pandemic.

The specific changes were based on a 2023 demographic study, school building capacity and utilization levels, residential development, school feeder patterns and input from school principals.

Brunner said redrawing the boundary lines, and revising a board policy, will expand busing to 1,100 additional students in elementary, intermediate and K-8 buildings.

"That, to me, is huge," she said. "It also addresses some of the immediate needs of overcrowding in some of our schools and that is a problem. It is a problem for kids. It is a problem for staff."

Here are the changes approved Tuesday with 7-0 votes:

  • Students who live in the western part of the Mann Elementary attendance area will be assigned to Jeffries. Mann is at nearly 97% capacity and Jeffries stands at just under 74%. If approved, the change will impact 25 students, who would become eligible for busing with the move;
  • Students who attend Bissett Elementary will go to Pipkin for middle school instead of Westport, which is a K-8 building. Pipkin is at nearly 68% capacity and Westport is at 74% but is expected to grow. The change will impact 54 students but all will remain eligible for busing due to a barrier street;
  • Students assigned to attend Sunshine Elementary but who live south of Sunshine Street will be split between Twain and Holland. Sunshine is operating at 102% capacity compared to 80% at Holland and nearly 87% at Twain. If approved, the change will impact 44 students at Sunshine and 15 at Holland. Those students, currently eligible for busing due to a barrier street, will no longer be eligible.

In another 7-0 vote, the board agreed to create an advisory committee for middle school boundary adjustments for the 2026-27 year.

"I just want to reiterate and recognize the challenges that parents are facing with regards to this change and change is hard and we are a large, growing district and we have not adjusted many of our boundaries in many years," said board member Shurita Thomas-Tate.

"We do recognize that we will need to evaluate our utilization of our buildings on a regular basis and to address the boundaries frequently."

Springfield school board unified in support of boundary changes, busing expansion (2)

As part of the consent agenda, six board members voted to revise the busing policy to expand busing for the youngest students. Brunner abstained from that vote because the personnel report, also part of the consent agenda, included a family member.

Currently, students in elementary, intermediate and K-8 schools have to live at least 1.5 miles from school to be eligible for busing. Eligibility will start at 1 mile for the 2025-26 year.

More:SPS hired outside firm to audit its safety measures. Here is what it brought to light

Of the change, board president Danielle Kincaid said: "It is very important to me that we make it as easy as possible for those students to get to school every day."

Parents say they want to stay at Mann

At the start of the meeting, Joshua and Emily Reeves said their son started kindergarten at Mann this year and they do not want to move him to Jeffries, which is farther from their home.

"He loves his school. He loves his teachers and our neighborhood. Like most kiddos, he really thrives on structure and routine," she said.

They questioned how quickly a decision could be made after the proposal. "It was less than two weeks ago that we first heard about it and now we're here to take a vote on it," he said.

Mann is located inside the Parkcrest neighborhood. Parents questioned sending students in part of that neighborhood to Jeffries.

Libby Wiseman said her fourth-grade daughter has been looking forward to next year at Mann.

"She loves everything about Mann, the teachers, the friends she's had since kindergarten, the school spirit and pride that is very prevalent in the building," Wiseman said.

"She is also excited for her fifth-grade year, for the fun things that fifth-graders get to do. They get to record the weekly video announcements, deliver notes from the office, raise and lower the flag each day, participate in student council and so many other things."

Wiseman asked the district to "grandfather in" students who are currently enrolled at Mann. The district has said that is not going to happen.

Instead, families expected to switch schools due to the change will be allowed to request a transfer so they can remain in their current school.

More:Proposal: SPS wants to expand busing next year to serve 1,100 more students

The district has long offered "open enrollment," which allows parents of students with good attendance and behavior to request a transfer to a school, other than the one they are zoned to attend, as long as there is space. Currently, the only buildings closed to transfer are Cherokee Middle School and Kickapoo High School.

"I'm confident the district will work with families to get through all of this in terms of working with the transfer policy," Brunner said.

Following the meeting, the district posted the changes online and plans to send information to parents impacted by the change.

Springfield school board unified in support of boundary changes, busing expansion (2024)
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