Springfield Public Schools has released new start and end times for the 2021-2022 school year and an expansion of before-and-after school support services for students. Deputy Superintendent John Mulford said. Superintendent Grenita Lathan joining the district. However, some parents, like Jasmine Allen, arent celebrating. Acknowledging the new start times may create logistical issues for families, the district has partnered with community groups to provide additional programs before and after school, which will be called SHINE. Springfield Parents, teachers react to new hours for Springfield Public School students, CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Storage units in north Springfield hit multiple times by thieves, Springfield police chief says data shows decrease in criminal activity in hotspots, Dadeville man killed after swerving utility truck to allow a wheel loader more room on the road. Springfield school busing eligibility is worst among state, regional peers. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Its something before and after-school programs are hearing about, making adjustments to help working parents have a place for their middle and elementary school kids to go while waiting for school to start. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Parents who have children in schools that start at different times have also raised concern about the logistics. Without finding and hiring an additional bakers dozen of bus drivers in the midst of a workforce shortage, the best SPS could do was 50 minutes between start times, as John Mulford, the districts deputy superintendent, explained to the school board during Tuesdays study session. Here are the proposed windows for each tier: Board President Alina Lehnert said by the time the new system is implemented in the fall, the top two district officials the superintendent and the deputy superintendent of operations will be gone. To expand busing, SPS schools may start as early as 7:30, as late as 9:30, To level playing field for students, Springfield board mulls busing for magnet programs, Start school at 9:30? Youve read all your free stories this month. Springfield, MO SPRINGFIELD, Mo. The Last Day of School is . The new start times for this year include: 7:20 a.m. for most elementary schools and the intermediate school 8:10 for all high schools and early childhood centers and some elementary. Deputy Superintendent John Mulford said the changes are causing logistical issues for some parents and will be closely monitored. Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college, SPONSORED The Place: Teacher of the Month with APP.ink, KY3 for Kids & Care to Learn: Winter Weather Essentials & Safety. Aug. 22 - 25 - Teacher Workdays (PD) Aug. 26 - 2Convocation 2 Aug. 29 - School begins - Grades 1 - 12 Aug. 29 - Sept. 2 - Kindergarten Screening M 1 Sept. 5 - Schools Closed - Labor Day Central Office is also closed Sept. 6 - Schools closed -Teacher Professional Day (State Primary Election Day) Sept. 7 - 19Kindergarten students begin Sept. 8 - Preschool students begin She said there are many parents who arent in favor of the newly selected start and end times. As part of the expansion, the district also will provide busing for the first time to magnet programs in the district. The Springfield Public School board discussed transportation plans for the 2022-2023 school year during the board's meeting on April 12, 2022. Username. A year ago, the board improved busing eligibility at the elementary level. 2023-2024 Coordinator III - Student Access & Opportunity Springfield Public Schools - Missouri "The concerns that parents and families express are real. Citing a growing number of students who are eligible to take the bus to school at a time when driver shortages persist, Springfield Public Schools officials outlined a three-tier set of start times for the upcoming school year. And that is a great moment of celebration for our community.. The starting pay currently stands at $20 an hour. The board will soon vote to approve eligibility changes that determine how far a student must live from a school to qualify for bus service. Schools . And thats what weve attempted to do here is take the concerns that weve heard, address them to the best of our ability while at the same time providing the greatest amount of access to transportation that we can provide based on the workforce.. "There is no perfect answer for what we are talking about doing," Lee said. That is one way Springfield may expand bus eligibility, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. We are so grateful for our strengthened partnership with Springfield Public Schools. 77 Reviews 4K Salaries 14 Q&A Interviews 3 Photos Want to work here? Then we come home and its a mad dash to get supper and a little bit of family time and then just to have some downtime and play, Stemm says. Those changes will allow the school district to accommodate the new bus eligibility guidelines approved. "It will be up to the board" to assess how the new system works once it is implemented, she said. "It'll be interesting to get the parent feedback around November, December. He said the district has to make the best decision it can, at any given time, and continue to evaluate options based on input and data. More: To level playing field for students, Springfield board mulls busing for magnet programs. To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. The partners, many of which have long provided wrap-around services, include the Ozarks Regional YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, the Dream Center and the park board's SPARC program. We recognize that a change in schedules can be a challenge for some, and this support is designed to offer options through expanded programming outside of the traditional school day. Pause Gallery . SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Well, now if youre moving to 7:30 in the morning, maybe those kids dont need busing because their parents dont work or theyre going to need more care in the afternoons, she says. More. The last day of Spring, Quarter 4 and Credit Recovery courses could be as early as May 16th or as late as . SPS evaluated the feedback and possible changes that would address the hardships identified. Image 6. 2022-2023 School Year Remain with the Three-Tier model Adjust start times as follows: Tier 1 7:20 am-2:20 pm Tier 2 8:10 am-3:10 pm Tier 3 9:00 am-4:00 pm Eligibility Elementary, Intermediate and K-8 1.5 miles Middle and High Schools 2.5 miles Magnet will be provided Elimination of transportation for As part of a major busing expansion this fall, the Springfield district reconfigured school start times for each building. Allen said shes all for transportation equity, but worries because the added tier means school start and end times will change. Claudette Riley is the educationreporter for the News-Leader. Springfield school board considering four ideas in effort for better interaction with parents, public, Springfield's Wilson's Creek Intermediate named Missouri Gold Star School, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, High schools: Central, Glendale, Hillcrest, Kickapoo, Parkview, Elementary schools: Bissett, Bowerman, Boyd, Fremont, Harrison, Pittman, Robberson, Weaver, Williams, York, Magnet: Academy of Fine & Performing Arts, Early childhood centers: Fulbright, Shady Dell, Campbell, Elementary schools: Bingham, Cowden, Delaware, Disney, Field, Gray, Holland, Jeffries, Mann, McBride, McGregor, Rountree, Sequiota, Sherwood, Sunshine, Truman, Twain, Watkins, Weller, Wilder, Magnet schools: Academy of Exploration, WOLF, Middle schools: Carver, Cherokee, Jarrett, Pipkin, Reed, K-8 schools: Hickory Hills, Pershing, Pleasant View, Westport. Posted Posted 15 days ago. This school year, Mulford said there were times that everyone but the receptionist working at the transportation office was behind the wheel of a bus, pitching in to cover bus routes while the district tries to recruit more drivers. But the expansion comes at a cost and, likely for some, an inconvenience. Any student can attend SHINE and students who qualify for free/reduced meals can receive scholarships through the SHINE Fund that allow them to access academic support free of charge, either before or after school, depending on the site. No matter what your genre, theres something new for you. Currently, high schools start at 7:30 a.m., elementary schools start at 8:30 a.m. and middle and K-8 schools start at 9:30 a.m. Mulford said the districts transportation team had a goal of narrowing the start and end time windows to 45 minutes, but workforce issues have been a persistent challenge. More. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. As a result, the start times are changing for the fall. On the flip side, if we get to July, (and) staffing goes backwards for some reason, we may have to come back to you to have to reduce eligibility, which we sure hope does not happen.. But then once in it for two or three months, some people actually find that they like it," he said. Believe it or not, the difference between 45 minutes and 50 minutes between tiers equates to 13 full-time drivers and routes. The district will move to a three-tiered busing system to limit the cost of the expansion, which is expected to exceed $1.2 million during the 2021-22 year. Early Release Schedules: Elementary Schools will be released at 12:30 p.m. Middle and High Schools will be released at 1:15 p.m. (Note: This does NOT apply to WLA or A3 schools.) Download this data as an Excel or CSV Spreadsheet. At the Tuesday meeting, Mulford outlined a three-tier plan that would have different groups of students heading to schools that started and ended the day at different times. Parents have repeatedly raised questions about why high schools start the earliest when national studies show teenagers need more sleep. The enrollment schedule is as follows: March 6, 7:30 a.m. - Grade 12 March 6, Noon - Grades 10-11 March 7, 7:30 a.m. - Grade 9 March 8, 7:30 a.m. - Grades 6-8 March 9, 7:30 a.m. - Grades 3-5 March 10, 7:30 a.m. - Grades K-2 A lot of our families and our kids are navigating so much right now, Brandy Harris the Chief Executive Officer of Boys and Girls Club of Springfield says. Check out Amazons best back-to-school deals to get what your kids need. Board member Gerry Lee supported offering busing to more students but noted the start times gave him pause. Nutrition Services Worker I (Immediate Opening) - Nutrition Services . (KY3) - Springfield Public Schools says its new start times will provide transportation to 3,000 students. *Last day of the 22-23 School Year will be announced by Springfield Public Schools after March 15th, depending on weather-related closures. , BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this summer, Home Depots 12-foot skeleton is back, so Halloween, Prime Day is over but 100+ of our favorites are still, Amazon Essentials clothes are practically free on, 90+ Prime Day toy deals you dont want to miss on, KOLR-TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, KOZL-TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, KRBK TV Childrens Television Programming Reports, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In order to make changes, the district had to add another tier to its bus system, which would allow more students access to bus transportation. The following modifications will help SPS provide transportation next school year to the largest number of students given the current staffing and funding limitations: The three-tier structure will be adjusted as follows: Students who attend elementary, intermediate and K-8 schools must live 1.5 miles or more from school to be eligible for transportation. The finalized start times were announced Friday along with a sizable increase in before- and after-school programs and scholarships available to help parents pay for the wrap-around services. Copyright 2022 Finalsite - all rights reserved. All students in grades K-12 will be served lunch just as they are on a regular school day. (Edited News Release/KY3) - Springfield Public Schools announced new daily start and end times for the 2021-2022 school year on Friday while announcing a major expansion of before- and after-school support services for students, known as SHINE. The Transportation Expansion work group, co-chaired by Abe McGull and Bret Range, included more than 30 parents, community members, teachers and staff who studied options in late 2020. Her kids would have to go to before and after-school programs just so she can work. "Often with change, there comes a lot of initial backlash. Image 3. SHINE is designed to help close the achievement gap, ensure child safety, address student mental health and fight childhood hunger.. SPS is thrilled to provide this additional support to our families, and we deeply appreciate the community partners who made this possible, said Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS. The SPS Back to School Bash is Saturday, July 29, and the Missouri Job Center will hold the job fair during that event from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Springfield Expo Center. This effort helps reduce barriers by providing a safe, reliable ride to school for many students who have never before received this service. Springfield's busing eligibility has long been among the most restrictive in Missouri. Here's why. More: To expand busing, SPS schools may start as early as 7:30, as late as 9:30. Most parents at that age want to bring their kids, he said. Elementary Schools - Grades K - 5: 8:35 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. Middle Schools - Grades 6 - 8: 8:15 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. High Schools - Grades 9 - 12: 8:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. This year, it will be improvedfor high school. Tier 3 schools will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. Study Alternative Center will begin at 8:15 a.m. and end at 1:45 p.m. Identify the partner providing before- and after-school support at their school. Remember username on this computer If you are an applicant and have reached this page in error, please go to our Careers Homepage. Review these important dates to learn our semester start and end dates, finals dates and more. Changes are expected to add 3,000 riders to the annual bus roster, which hovered near 7,700beforethe pandemic. "And so we'll certainly do that. "If the No. "I believe in being out in the community, getting to know people," she said to about 40 people. Families are encouraged to visit www.sps.org/shine and take the following steps: More information about SHINE is available at www.sps.org/shine. And I think that will give us a true perspective of where we're at.". The district showed attendance rates forstudents ineligible to ride were lower than their eligible counterparts at the high school level. Exact start times will be set oncenew routes arefinalized. Committed to the well-being of each student by providing high-quality academic opportunities. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. Her students start time will be an hour earlier this year than last. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, High schools: Central, Glendale, Hillcrest, Kickapoo, Parkview, Elementary schools: Bissett, Bowerman, Boyd, Fremont, Harrison, Pittman, Robberson, Weaver, Williams, York, Magnet: Academy of Fine & Performing Arts, Early childhood centers: Fulbright, Shady Dell, Campbell, Elementary schools: Bingham, Cowden, Delaware, Disney, Field, Gray, Holland, Jeffries, Mann, McBride, McGregor, Rountree, Sequiota, Sherwood, Sunshine, Truman, Twain, Watkins, Weller, Wilder, Magnet schools: Academy of Exploration, WOLF, Middle schools: Carver, Cherokee, Jarrett, Pipkin, Reed, K-8 schools: Hickory Hills, Pershing, Pleasant View, Westport. In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the school board approved the policy changes and extra funding required to expand service. 901 S National Ave This support is made possible by $3.4 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds (ESSER II), allocated through the SHINE Fund. We were going to have to give up one or the other, so we focused on the choice programs, and providing equal access there.. The change, which will open up busing for thousands of families, has been heralded by top district officials and others as a significant step to improve equity and access. Elementary sites now have early start times and students at those schools may qualify for scholarships to attend after-school programming free of charge. Springfield Public Schools - District 186 . 2023-2024, Library Clerical - Cherokee/Carver Middle School Springfield Public Schools - Missouri Springfield, MO 65802 (Rountree/Walnut area) $15.00 - $26.65 an hour Full-time The push to expand busing and to change the start times happened prior to Mulford and Superintendent Grenita Lathan joining the district. They will allow parents more flexibility for picking up and dropping off children. Lane said later start and dismissal times mean her children will now get home close to 5 p.m., reducing how much time they will be able to play outside or spend time with family before bedtime. Springfield Public Schools Committed to the well-being of each student by providing high-quality academic opportunities. Busing eligibility for high school has long started at 3.5 miles but will drop to 1.5 miles under the expansion. Biography: School Committee Member Barbara Gresham; Biography: School Committee Member Denise Hurst; Biography: School Committee Member Attorney Peter Murphy; Biography: School Committee Member (Vice Chairwoman) LaTonia Monroe Naylor; School Committee Meeting Minutes Archive (1) School Committee Meeting Schedule Middle school and high school students must live 2.5 miles or more from school to be eligible. The expanded partnerships and the scholarships are madepossible by $3.4 million in the federalCoronavirus Relief Funds. The district was seven drivers short of being fully staffed in late March, and Mulford said that the eligibility changes the board will vote on later this month are always fluid, depending on the number of drivers they have. "Or, we may have to revisit, do we continue with the expanded services?". 1:03 until Wednesday, met with parents Thursday evening to answer questions about what to expect. A proposal was presented to the board on Jan. 19 and adopted Tuesday. (KY3) - Parents of students in Springfield Public Schools could soon see new start times for the upcoming school year. 75 Above average Happiness How enjoyable people find their day-to-day life at work Above average "At some point, if we are going to move them forward, this is the moment," he said. When you register, youll get three free stories, plus free newsletters written by our reporting team. The start times have been adjusted for each Tier: Tier 1 schools begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m.Tier 2 schools begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.Tier 3 schools begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. A full summary of the start times can be found here. The district is proposing . If approved, students who attend elementary, intermediate and K-8 schools will qualify for a bus ride to school if they live at least 1.5 miles from the building. She said this could inconvenience families significantly, and also become a possible safety matter for students. New start times, summarized here, will enable the district to expand transportation options for 3,000 more high school students and provide busing service to choice magnet programs for the first time in SPS history. School is starting again, and your elementary-aged kids will need supplies! That is what we are always committed to doing.. SPS is thrilled to provide this additional support to our families, and we deeply appreciate the community partners who made this possible, Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS said. When it comes to students getting off the bus late, he explained that everything about their transportation system is designed to be as safe as possible. More: Start school at 9:30? More. The plan provides busing for students who attend magnet schools like the new AgAcademy while discontinuing service for early childhood education students who do not have special needs. (Edited News Release/KY3) - Springfield Public Schools announced new daily start and end times for the 2021-2022 school year on Friday while announcing a major. Apply to the latest jobs near you. Mulford said parents will be surveyed as early as November and the board will look at options, including staying the course, as early as December or January. Please Note: Springfield's high school busing problem started in 1976. For more than a decade, parents and certain board members have raised concerns that the lack of busing for magnet schools may dissuade families straddling the poverty line from even applying. Here's why. 2023-2024 Foreign Language Educator . Changing start times In late fall, a survey for parents and employees confirmed what school officials had been hearing for months: New start times enacted for the 2021-22 year are. To read this story, sign in or register with your email address. Click on the public or private elementary school to view that specific school's details. The new program will start on Aug. 23 with any student allowed to attend SHINE. After years of talk with minimal change, Springfield Public Schools will expand busing for students in high school and magnet programs. More details are available at this website:www.sps.org/shine. The presentation reflects recommendations based on feedback from SPS families and staff that was collected earlier this school year. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Some schools and programs have also been moved into different tiers. We look for opportunities for us to refine and make improvements, Stephen Hall from Springfield Public Schools says. The district will also offer, for the first time, busing to and from magnet school, as a way to expand access for families without transportation or flexible work schedules. Hall explained that there are a variety of support services available at many of the schools, including community partners that help bridge the gap for some families. Instead, theyre concerned. To learn more about the expansion of transportation districtwide, visit www.sps.org/busupdate. Image 1 (current) Image 2. Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Springfield Public Schools has released new start and end times for the 2021-2022 school year and an expansion of before-and-after school support services for. 1 reason that we are implementing thischange is to increase attendance for high school students, can you promise me that there will be 3,000 more kids on that bus, because there better be and that those kids are going to say 'OK, I'll get on the bus at 6:45 in the morning' [when] they are not willing to be [at school] right now with a start time of 8 a.m.?". In the next few weeks, Netflix is releasing 22 new titles. (KY3) - Springfield Public Schools (SPS) will move to a three-tier bus system for the 2021-2022 school year. Now hiring: Crossing guards sought for Springfield school year. Middle and high school students can catch a ride if they live 2.5 miles or more from those campuses. Here are a few essentials you should pack in your middle-schoolers backpack for a successful school year. 12.7. Allen said she believes the district didnt take a few things into account. This fall, busing for high school students will start at 1.5 miles, where eligibility starts for middle school,instead of 3.5 miles.