SPS invests $136K on school supplies

As part of its reopening plan, Springfield Public Schools is investing $136,318 on supplies for students.

District spokesperson Teresa Bledsoe said Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds are being used to purchase school supplies for pre-K-5 students. She said the funds were awarded to the district directly from the federal government.

The funding provides supplies, such as pencils, folders, notebooks and scissors, to all of the district's 12,500 students in preschool through fifth grade, according to a news release.

"With our families facing so much uncertainty as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, SPS chose to take this step to provide additional resources and support," Superintendent John Jungmann said in the release. "As we prepare to resume learning on Aug. 24, we want our families to know we care about them and we are committed to serving them during these especially challenging times."

Jungmann added the purchase of school supplies also helps support the district’s health guidelines in its reopening plan, specifically to limit the sharing of items as part of social distancing.

For the semester scheduled to start later this month, parents were given a choice of either a mix of virtual learning and in-class teaching for their children or full-time virtual learning. Bledsoe said 18,000 students would utilize the reduced capacity in-person option and about 6,400 students have selected the fully virtual option.

Organizations including CoxHealth, the Discovery Center of Springfield Inc. and new private school EnCompass Academy have announced learning support programs to help care for children in response to the SPS reopening plan.

The district also is facing a lawsuit from parents of kids in SPS schools seeking to undo the reopening plan.