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Date: 9/13/2022
SPRINGFIELD – In their first meeting of the 2022-2023 academic year, the School Committee reviewed several back-to-school updates during their Sept. 1 meeting.
Chief of Innovation, Strategy and Accountability for Springfield Public Schools (SPS) Paul Foster introduced updates to student enrollment. Foster noted that kindergarten enrollment is “particularly low” with 1,364 students enrolled compared to the 1,500 or more students enrolled to each other grade level. Foster and Superintendent Daniel Warwick noted that the enrollment numbers are not atypical due to kindergarten starting a week after the other schools in the district.
“[Kindergarten] starts off every year low because we start later and people are still enrolling, so that’s going along with other years,” said Warwick.
In comparing enrollment for the district, Foster highlighted a decrease from 25,007 students in October 2019 to the 23,587 students enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year. Foster said the current school year enrollment figure will be more accurate when data is updated on Oct. 1.
“We still have students enrolling, we always have late enrollments, so those numbers are going to go up,” said Foster. As for other contributing factors, Foster noted a smaller youth population and ongoing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic as factors for decreased enrollment.
One grade level experiencing a sizable enrollment increase from prior years is pre-K education. The Springfield School District is introducing universal, full-day preschool for 2022-2023. Mayor and School Committee Chairperson Domenic Sarno shared that Springfield is the only school district in the state with free, full-day preschool education with the new program.
So far, Warwick said the program has been “more popular than even we estimated” with 1,688 students currently enrolled. School Committee member LaTonia Naylor shared her hopes that the new offering encourages more students to stay enrolled in the district.
“I want to hope that once we get them into pre-K that they are going to want to stick with us,” said Naylor.
SPS Chief Financial and Operations Officer Patrick Roach provided additional updates on universal preschool. Roach shared that preschool was adopted in the district’s 12 elementary schools to make education more accessible for incoming students.
In addition, the school district re-purposed Balliet Middle School into Balliet Preschool. Located at 111 Seymour Ave., the Balliet Middle School was utilized for virtual schooling last year prior to its new role as a preschool. The remodeled school will include 13 classrooms that will serve 173 students.
Universal preschool will include 30 new full-day classrooms and 20 previously half-day classrooms that have since been converted to full-day education, according to Roach.
The arrival of universal preschool comes with several pilot programs for the district, including transportation and an extended preschool day from 2:30 p.m. dismissal to 3:30 p.m. dismissal at three preschool centers. Roach said the district remains focused on assembling a full compliment of staff by incorporating 28 students from the Putnam Preschool Vocational Program as interns.
Sarno praised the inclusion of universal preschool as an innovation within the district.
“The earlier we get to our kids and their families, the better opportunities for them in this city…it’s going to pay dividends down the road,” said Sarno.
Warwick also noted universal preschool as a “game-changer” for getting students proper preparation for their educational careers.
“The kids come in, if they haven’t had a quality pre-K, way behind and it takes years to catch them up … It’s a game-changer long-term for academic achievement and kids graduating from school,” said Warwick.
Roach then presented summer projects that reached completion ahead of the school year. The district performed extensive renovations on Warner Elementary, Kensington Elementary, Talmadge Elementary and Balliet. Some of the renovations include kitchen renovations, new flooring, the creation of new classroom spaces and asbestos removal.
Nursing Supervisor Jeanne Clancy concluded the informational presentations with a COVID-19 update. Clancy shared that there is no mask mandate outside of the school’s nurse offices, but the district will still provide masks as needed for students.
Testing for students will be accomplished through iHealth rapid antigen test, with students and staff that test positive allowed to return six days after their initial diagnosis. If students or staff do not test positive in that time, they must wear a mask until 10 days after testing positive.
Going forward, Clancy said the school district will continue to advocate for vaccines via immunization programs with Big Y and other entities. The school district is also making preparations in case of a case surge during the school year.
The School Committee will meet again on Sept. 15.