SPS gathers community input on next superintendent

John Jungmann is slated to retire at the end of the school year.

3 SPS board seats up for grabs

Three seats on the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education will be up for election in the spring, and applications are nearly open.

Petitions must be filed between Dec. 15 and Jan. 19, 2021, for the April election, according to a news release. Petition and application information will be available for pickup starting Monday. Each candidate must be at least 24 years old, live in the district and a Missouri resident for at least one year.

Candidates also must collect 500 signatures of registered voters in the district on their petition, according to the release.

The terms for board members Gerry Lee, Jill Patterson and Bruce Renner expire in 2021.

Springfield Public Schools is hosting a series of meetings next week to hear community input on the district’s next superintendent. GR Recruiting, out of Iowa, is leading the nationwide search for the role, according to a news release. 

Dr. John Jungmann on Sept. 9 announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. He joined the district in July 2014 and has worked in public education for 23 years. 

The nine community input sessions planned for Nov. 17-18 are open to the public and will take place in person and virtually, according to the release. A survey also is expected to be sent to parents, students and staff tomorrow. 

“We deeply value the feedback from those we serve and listening to our district and community is incredibly important,” said Alina Lehnert,  SPS Board president, in the release. “These public meetings will help shape the search for our district’s next leader.”  

Community input sessions: 

Nov. 17  

• 2 p.m., Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  
• 4 p.m., Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  
• 5:30 p.m., via Zoom,  email communications@spsmail.org for link 
• 7 p.m., Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  

Nov. 18 

• 7 a.m. via Zoom,  email communications@spsmail.org for link 
• 8:30 a.m., Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  
• 10 a.m., Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  
• Noon, Kraft Administrative Center, 1359 St. Louis St.  
• 2 p.m., via Zoom,  email communications@spsmail.org for link