The SPS Board of Education held two public hearings Jan. 16, in accordance with board policy, to determine the future of Robberson Elementary and the K-5 portion of Pershing School. Following those hearings, the board approved the following actions:
- Closure of Robberson Elementary at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Beginning in August, Robberson students will attend the nearby Boyd Elementary, a brand-new school built two years ago.
- Closure of the K-5 portion of Pershing at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Beginning in August 2026, Pershing Elementary students will attend nearby Field or Wilder schools, depending on the address of residence. Plans for the extensive renovation and rebuild of Pershing Middle School (grades 6-8) will begin now that the scope of work has been defined for a middle school project. Groundbreaking will begin in 2026 with completion in 2028.
In November, the board received the results of a demographic study, which analyzed current and future population trends within the SPS attendance boundaries.
The study identified opportunities for improvement to help address the underutilization of some schools and a projected overall decline in enrollment. On Dec. 19, 2023 recommended changes were presented to the board of , including the closing of Robberson Elementary and the K-5 portion of Pershing.
Robberson and Boyd elementary schools are both underutilized due to low enrollment, which is projected to continue declining over the next 10 years. The board’s action combines the Robberson and Boyd attendance areas with all students attending the newly constructed Boyd campus, completed in 2021, 1.5 miles from Robberson.
Currently, Pershing serves 151 students in grades kindergarten through 5, which is a very small elementary campus. By moving those students to nearby Field and Wilder, Pershing will be renovated/rebuilt as a middle school serving only grades 6-8. Now that the scope of work for the project has been determined, renovations will begin in 2026 for completion in 2028.
The decisions by the board will ensure that Pershing and Robberson students have an improved learning environment and enhanced academic support, both of which are key priorities of the SPS strategic plan. The actions also improve organizational and fiscal efficiency.
A recording of the public hearings and combined board meetings are available here.