The Springfield Public School District recently announced a change in plans for Pershing Middle School, which is located at 2120 S. Ventura.
Instead of renovating the existing school, the district will build a new one.
Dr. Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of operations at SPS, said they hired an architect and construction manager for the project last December.
"We knew that we had really a lot of flow issues with students moving throughout the building — narrow hallways, things like that," he said. "When we got the architects and the construction managers in the building and reviewing the project in a lot more detail, it really became more clear that, in order to really reset this building for the next 75 to 80 years, we weren't going to be able to accomplish that."
He said all of the mechanical systems would have to be replaced in the current building. ADA upgrades are required, and a new gymnasium, cafeteria and kitchen are needed.
"The renovation wouldn't even address new windows. It wouldn't address the building envelope, if you will," said Shaw, "the tuckpointing that may need done on the brick. It wasn't updating the exterior of the building whatsoever. And so, as we did that feasibility work, the cost comparison was a few million dollars different between renovating and building new."
Renovating the existing building would have meant busing students to the old Jarrett on South Jefferson. Building new means students can stay in their current building during construction, and the project can begin sooner. Shaw said it just makes sense to spend $8 million more and have a brand new school, built to last well into the future.
The new Pershing will be constructed to the east of the existing school at Ventura and Seminole.
Once it’s finished, the old school will be demolished and replaced with a full-size football field and track.
The project is expected to cost $58.6 million. Completion is expected by June of 2028.
