An annual performance of the Springfield Public Schools superintendent has warranted an extension for Dr. John Jungmann.
Jungmann, who has been on the job since July 2014, was originally signed to a 3-year contract with a base salary of $230,000 for the current school year. Earlier this week, during the SPS Board of Education executive session, Jungmann received a positive evaluation and a contract extension through the 2017-2018 school year.
"While having only been on the job a few months, Dr. Jungmann continues to impress us with his passion for moving our district forward," stated Dr. Denise Fredrick, school board president. "During his first 90 days on the job he met with multiple stakeholders and used their input to develop a plan that is quickly putting us on a path to empower and support all students to discover and pursue their potential."
The board evaluated Jungmann on the following:
1. Create a structure for the Superintendent of Schools to listen broadly and learn comprehensively about Springfield Public Schools and begin to cultivate trust and confidence through open and honest communication.
2. Establish a strong working relationship with the Board of Education.
3. Study in-depth the district's student performance status and review the financial condition of the system.
4. Promote a culture of excellence and continuous improvement with a focus on student achievement.
Also this week, the school board sold the site of its former transportation department for $510,000 to Edwards Family Trust. The lot at 1600 E. Chestnut Expressway, which includes 4.7 acres of land and a 7,734 sq. ft. building, had been declared surplus property last May.
The district's transportation department is now located in a larger facility at 2945 N. Pythian, where 109 buses from the district's 144-bus fleet are located. The remaining 35 buses operate from a satellite transportation facility at Carver Middle School. Each day, SPS buses run a total of 129 routes and transport 7,600 students.