SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The district says student safety is a top priority for the Springfield Public Schools in the hope voters vote ‘yes’ on Proposition S. 

Chad Rollins, a parent and school board member candidate, said that he sees first-hand the need for upgrades for the schools the bond could help.

“As you know, a parent of a child, it’s been a purging. I’ve had several kids at purging over the years. I can say, you know, the space within the hallways and things like that could use to be expanded and some of the classrooms so that way it’s a little safer,” said Rollins.

A range of projects could be funded by the $220 million dollar bond.

“It would cover first and foremost, there would be safety and security upgrades that would affect all of our schools throughout the district,” said Travis Shaw, Springfield Public Schools director of operations.

“We would also be building a new Pipkin Middle School, a new Reid Middle School, a renovated and reconstruction of some parts of Pershing School, as well as there would be six different storm shelter gymnasiums at six different elementary schools that we would construct.”

Because the district can’t use government funding to make improvements to the schools in the district they are counting on the taxpayer’s decision come April 4.

“We can’t utilize any of our state funding for capital improvements or renovations or reconstruction. So we have to rely on local funding to do that and through the debt service, that’s really how that is taken care of,” said Shaw. “That would be a no-tax tax levy increase to our taxpayers.”

Rollins says even though he is on the fence that it’s up to the vote to decide if this will pass. “It’s ultimately up to the taxpayers and the citizens of the Springfield District, you know if they want to pass this or not.”

Starting Thursday the district welcomes the community to tour the facilities, to have the opportunity to see them for themselves.