Springfield Public Schools

As of Monday, November 30, Springfield Public Schools are following modified quarantine guidance issued by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department.

The guidance, for grades K-12, is a follow up to guidance issued recently by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to a news release from SPS.

It’s not yet known if the Springfield Public School District will follow new school guidelines on quarantine issued by the State of Missouri Thursday.

Governor Mike Parson and Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven said the new guidance will allow students exposed to COVID-19 in a student setting to remain in class as long as all parties were wearing face coverings—and wearing them correctly.

The search for a new superintendent for Springfield Public Schools is underway, and district officials want to know what you would like to see in a new leader. 

SPS is hosting a series of community input sessions this week, and there are in-person and virtual options.

Representatives from GR Recruiting, the search firm hired to lead the search, will facilitate the meetings.

Starting in November, students in grades K-8 who attend Springfield Public Schools will go to class in person four days a week.  Since the school year started, some students have gone to school on Monday and Tuesday and some have gone on Thursday and Friday.  High school students will continue to go in person only two days a week.

According to SPS in a statement, Wednesday will remain a virtual learning day so that schools can be cleaned.

The Springfield Public Schools Board of Education is considering making changes to the current school schedule as the end of the first quarter nears. 

Any adjustments would be made after consulting with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, according to SPS officials in a statement.

Springfield Public School nurses return to work Tuesday.  They’ll be receiving additional training in the next two weeks before a new school year begins during a pandemic.

Jean Grabeel, director of health services for the district, said they’ll train them on things like personal protective equipment or PPE, what symptoms to watch for that could indicate a case of COVID-19 and when to isolate a student.  There will also be online training available to them.

A school supply drive for Springfield Public School students looks different this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Things being collected for Ready, Set, Drive! include notebook paper, highlighters, markers and crayons.  But also on this year’s list are disposable face masks, hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes.

Springfield Public Schools will offer both in-person and virtual summer school options for elementary and middle school students starting in July and also a combination of the two.  High school students will have only online options for the entire summer.  

SPS is offering only online options for all students during the first part of Explore, June 3 through June 30.  The second session will run July 6 through 31. 

After Governor Parson ordered public and charter schools in Missouri to remain closed through the rest of the school year, Springfield Public Schools superintendent, Dr. John Jungmann, issued a statement.  He called Thursday “a sad day for Missouri educators, students and teachers.”  But he said the district wants what’s best for students and staff and that the governor’s decision was necessary.

A chief equity and diversity officer for Springfield Public Schools has been announced.  Yvania Garcia-Pusateri is the current executive director of multicultural programs at Missouri State University.  She’ll begin her new job on September 9.

The hiring is part of the SPS strategic plan, which district officials say “is aligned to identify and measure progress in closing the gaps for under-resourced and under-represented students.”