SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield City Schools’ Board of Education decided it will close one school at the end of the year.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, district leaders have been focusing on the future of the School of Innovation for two months.
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As the board members prepared to vote on Thursday evening, school board member Jamie Callan spoke to the audience.
“Once again, this is one of the most difficult decisions a board member has to make. When money goes away, how does a board member respond?” Callan said.
The board voted 4-1 to shut down the School of Innovation at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, which affects approximately 100 students.
As previously reported by News Center 7, the district said it faces growing budget constraints tied to inadequate and inequitable state funding.
After the vote Thursday night, several parents left the meeting.
Myra Starr has a grandchild who is a freshman at the School of Innovation.
“I don’t think it was an easy decision, but there were other choices they could have made, in my opinion,” Starr said.
Starr said she had hope before the meeting.
“I’m really sad. I’m very concerned about the students that are involved and how that’s going to impact them long term,” Starr said.
If the district decided to keep the school open, it would be $10 million in debt in 2030, according to the board of education.
District leaders previously said it costs $23,000 per student at the School of Innovation and $11,000 per student at all other schools.
Part of the reason Starr’s family chose the School of Innovation for her grandson was due to bullying in middle school.
She said the board’s decision helped make the family’s next decision easy.
“He’ll be leaving Springfield City Schools,” she said. “He’s already upset. He didn’t go to school today because he knew they were going to vote tonight.”
Board members and the district’s superintendent wouldn’t answer any of News Center 7’s questions about the decision Thursday night.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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