SPS board mulling transportation, boundary changes

The Springfield Public Schools Board of Education yesterday heard recommendations from staff regarding potential future transportation and boundary changes.

Five recommendations were presented to the board during its study session meeting, with a vote expected Oct. 22. The study session was livestreamed on SPS' YouTube page.

The recommendations, which follow a demographic study released last year by Davis Demographics, would expand transportation eligibility and adjust school boundaries to more evenly balance their utilization, officials said. If approved, most of the recommendations would take effect in the 2025-26 academic year.

The recommendations presented to the board are as follows:
• The district is seeking to expand transportation eligibility by changing the eligibility requirement to include students who live 1 mile or more from their school, compared with 1.5 miles or more now. Roughly 1,100 additional students would be eligible through the plan, which includes changes in start and dismissal times at Sunshine Elementary and Westport K-8.
• Board members are considering adjusting the Horace Mann Elementary boundary to send some students to Jeffries Elementary. Roughly 34 students would be impacted, and they would be eligible for bus transportation to Jeffries.
• Expected enrollment growth at Sunshine Elementary calls for a boundary adjustment that would send some students to Holland and Twain elementary schools. Roughly 43 students would move to Twain and 19 students would move to Holland, and they no longer would be eligible for bus transportation because they would be within a mile of their new school.
• The middle school feeder pattern for Bissett Elementary School would be shifted to balance utilization at Westport K-8 and Pipkin Middle School. Students who live in the Bissett attendance area would transition to Pipkin instead of Westport for middle school starting with the 2025-26 academic year.
• Staff are seeking the creation of a middle school boundary advisory committee to evaluate middle school boundaries districtwide and provide recommendations, with no changes to be made prior to the 2026-27 academic year.

SPS Chief Information Officer Bruce Douglas told board members that the boundary changes would impact instances of overutilization and overcrowding.

"We want to avoid that, obviously, by being proactive in how we're monitoring and adjusting these boundaries," Douglas said.

Speaking to the transportation eligibility changes, Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of operations, said accommodating the 1,100 new bus-eligible students would involve adding three bus drivers and buses, equating to 11% more students for 3% more resources.