Springfield Public Schools has updated its facility master plan to reflect the public feedback shared after the April 2017 bond election.

One of the immediate recommendations calls for repurposing Campbell Elementary School as an early childhood education center and sending current Campbell students to McGregor Elementary School. A public hearing on this proposal will be held March 8.

The update also outlined  a long-term list of projects to be studied by a group of architects, which will present outlines to the board at a future date to identify renovation and reconstruction costs for consideration as part of a future bond proposal.

“This is an exciting time for our district,” said Dr. John Jungmann, superintendent. “The community has provided valuable feedback to SPS regarding what they want for their schools. They have asked us to address the most significant needs first by starting with the sites that scored lowest on condition, to consider renovating buildings whenever possible, to be specific with our recommendations and to engage in ongoing communication through the process. We are committed to that and we look forward to continued dialogue.”

During a board retreat last fall, the district was asked to move forward with recommendations to address any sites with low and declining enrollment. As a result, the district is recommending the consolidation of Campbell Elementary with McGregor Elementary, effective at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. That consolidation would stabilize declining enrollment in both sites and allow the district to repurpose the Campbell facility in order to expand early childhood education.

By repurposing Campbell Elementary, the district is able to create an interim learning center and Parents as Teachers hub in center city for up to 200 children. This expansion would include a pilot transportation program for the neighborhood, to be studied for potential future expansion districtwide. The district does not anticipate these steps to negatively impact the employment status of any current SPS employee.

“We are very proud of our staff and students at both Campbell and McGregor elementaries,” said Dr. Jason Anderson, executive director of elementary learning. “We value their commitment to education and learning and are confident that both communities will navigate this transition smoothly, for the best interest of all involved. This is the right time to take this necessary step forward.”

Benefits of the district’s recommendation to consolidate and repurpose include the following:

Improved learning environments

Campbell Elementary currently has one class per grade level, limiting opportunities to move students to classrooms that better address their needs. McGregor will have multiple classrooms per grade level to provide more options.

Expanded student support services

A current grant proposal from an SPS community partner would open the door to before-school services at McGregor, providing those same benefits to current Campbell students, as early as next year.

Efficiency for specialty teachers

A split-location arrangement currently exists for specialty teachers (including music, physical education and art). Consolidation will allow those educators to spend more time in one location, improving consistency of instruction for students.

Improved facility for Campbell students

The Campbell facility scores a 64 and McGregor scores a 77 on the districtwide facility assessment report. McGregor was renovated in 2002, is organized on one level and achieves ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility for both students and staff.

Opportunity for professional collaboration

Teachers at Campbell do not currently have an opportunity to collaborate with peers teaching at the same grade level. Consolidation creates a better opportunity for professional growth, which positively impacts learning.

Campbell Elementary by the numbers:

Enrollment

133 students, with an enrollment decline of 29 percent over 10 years, while elementary enrollment districtwide has increased 9 percent.

Continued projected decline

The district projects a continued annual enrollment decline of over 5 percent.

Facility

 Multi-story building, built in 1930; no elevator; 33,168 square feet, 11 classrooms, scored a 64 on site condition assessment.

Efficiency

Highest square footage (249.38) per learner among comparably sized elementary schools.

Learning structure

One classroom per grade-level, specialty teachers are shared across sites.

Next Steps

• March 8: A public hearing will be held regarding the Campbell and McGregor recommendations at 6 p.m. at Kraft Administrative Center,1359 E. St. Louis St.
• March 20: The Board of Education will vote on the recommendation to consolidate Campbell and McGregor elementary schools and repurpose the Campbell facility.
• Summer: The architects will provide the results of their cost analysis for each site on the list of long-term projects. The Board of Education will then consider options for renovation or reconstruction and seek public feedback before moving forward.

To learn more about the updated facility master plan, including the immediate recommendation to consolidate and repurpose the Campbell Elementary facility, please visit sps.org/facilityplan.