Votes for the future

Next Tuesday is an important day for Springfield Public Schools. As you know, your vote matters when it comes to local, state and national issues related to education. I encourage you to look closely at all the candidates and all the ballot issues that will no doubt have a major impact on the direction of our country and the future of public education.

This election will have a direct connection to the waters we will be navigating in the immediate and long-range future. Of course, right now the dominant topic of concern is the economy. I can assure you we will be following closely the impact a slowing economy will have on our budget, and I encourage you to stay engaged with our district so that we can work through these times together.

The Board of Education will be having a strategic discussion during its Nov. 11 Study Session to discuss the current economic conditions and its impact on our tentatively scheduled April 2009 bond election. While there is no question that the types of projects to be tackled with this bond, including the completion of air conditioning at the remainder of our schools, are needed as soon as possible, it is imperative that we be sensitive to the economic conditions that exist with our stakeholders as well.

Through focus groups conducted this year we were encouraged to find that frequent voters are very supportive of this school district’s direction as established by SP5. At the same time, we were encouraged to keep an ear to the ground when it comes to the economic reality faced by Springfield citizens during this economic roller coaster. Please know, we are indeed keeping a very close ear to the ground and will work hard on making the best decisions for all those impacted by future funding initiatives.

Enrollment increase

Our official enrollment count indicates we have 166 more students in our schools this year. For 2008-2009 total enrollment for Springfield Public Schools is 23,968 students compared with enrollment of 23,802 students in 2007-2008.

Most of that growth is at the elementary level with an increase of 173 students. We also noted an increase of 44 middle school students but enrollment declined by 51 students at the high school level bringing us to a net increase of 166 students.

Growth in several southwest Springfield schools reinforces the need for the new elementary school currently under construction. McBride Elementary School has 69 additional students and Gray Elementary School increased by 31 students. These buildings are already struggling to accommodate their large numbers.

Other examples of schools in the southwest that are growing include: Carver Middle School with 37 additional students; Cherokee Middle School with 53 more students; and Kickapoo High School with 40 additional students.

We’ve added four kindergarten teachers to accommodate the elementary growth in the district and are requesting a fifth teacher be hired to help address the increase of 120 students who are English Language Learners. The hiring of these additional teachers is important in advancing the district’s strategic objective of reducing student-teacher ratios.

Schools, Neighborhoods and Cities....

The recent Boundary and Facility Usage Review process that we are currently undertaking has once again served as a reminder of the central and essential part public schools play in a community. It was very clear with the Robberson Elementary discussion that it is the staff at Robberson and their relationship with their community that anchors that neighborhood.

Personal relationships are vital to the success of a public school, neighborhood and city. While individuals may have differing opinions as to the placement and future of the physical structure at Robberson, there is no denying that school and community relationships are built upon a solid foundation of trust and caring. I think you will find that is true throughout our system.

Based on the support expressed for Robberson, we will be working with that community to further define a vision for their school and neighborhood. It occurs to me that perhaps part of the struggle in discussing this type of emotional topic results from not being visionary enough. SP5, our strategic plan, has produced for our community a clear focus on what our stakeholders want to achieve for our district. What is needed now, for not only the Robberson community, but for all our neighborhoods, and our community as a whole, is a bold vision that reflects the dreams and aspirations we share for all students.

What if we did not just stop the discussion at whether a building from a distant era is suitable or not, but created a vision for the Robberson community that captured the imagination of not only the parents and students but of the entire city? What program and facility could exist that not only teaches the basics well but creates an environment which transforms a neighborhood and a school?

This discussion has reinforced for me that it is time, now more than ever, to be bold in creating an educational environment that meets the educational needs of our students as well as ignites the drive and innovation of a school, neighborhood and community.

With this in mind, I am asking Marc Maness to pull together a team of engaged citizens, a blue ribbon team if you will, to help us create this vision. The main goal of this team will be to take SP5 and propose ways to achieve the clearly stated goals in ways that will help transform neighborhoods and have a positive impact on our entire city. I will share with you in upcoming blog entries more specifics, but needless to say, this is an exciting time for public education in Springfield!