Parent Handbook

All students and staff will participate in emergency drills, including fire, severe weather, and intruder/lockdowns. During drills, people may be unable to leave or enter the building until the office signals that the drill has ended. During and after the drill, children will be directed to follow their teacher's instructions in a quiet and orderly manner. Staff follows the policies and procedures of the school district. Our intent is to keep each child safe at all times. Families will be notified when a drill has occurred.

The following documents are required to enroll in Springfield Public Schools:

• A copy of your child's birth certificate or passport

• Proof of your home address (utility bill, lease agreement, or similar document that includes both your name and address)

• A copy of your child’s immunization record (Click here to view the 2024 Missouri preschool immunization requirements)

• Student Health Inventory

• SPS Online Enrollment Application that can be found HERE

• Parent/Guardian photo ID

Wonder Years and LEAD Academy students must have a recent developmental screening from Parents As Teachers.  Call (417) 523-1333 to schedule an appointment.

Springfield Public Schools have implemented the USDA Guidelines for Nutritional Standards. All school snacks, breakfasts, and lunches will meet these new rules, and any other food offered during the school day must meet the Smart Snack in Schools guidelines. For more information, please visit these websites: 

SPS Nutrition Services

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Food & Nutrition Services

United States Department of Agriculture  (USDA)

Smart Snacks in Schools

In all ECSE classrooms, breakfast is offered in the morning session and lunch during the afternoon session.

In accordance with Springfield Public Schools procedures, you may apply for Free/Reduced status, which is based on financial eligibility. Applications are available online at the SPS website or your child's school. If you have any questions about the Free/Reduced application, please call Nutrition Services at (417) 523-1100. If your child will be eating before coming to school, please inform your child's teacher. The food program may vary depending on which site your child attends.

Snacks or individual food items may be served for classroom learning, special events, or seasonal celebrations; however, these items will be from a pre-approved list. Please contact your child's teacher before bringing any snack to school to share with your child's class.

When children's birthdays are celebrated, a non-food celebration (no cupcakes, candy, etc.) will be utilized. This may include extra recess for the class, stickers, pencils, birthday buttons, etc.

Springfield Public Schools uses a visitor management system known as Hall Pass. This system supports our ongoing efforts to provide a safe environment for students and staff by helping track visitors in our schools. All visitors will be asked to present a state-issued ID which will be scanned into the system. Hall Pass will compare visitor identification data against an integrated, comprehensive database of registries for every U.S. state and District of Columbia. Once entry is approved, a unique badge is created that identifies the visitor and the date of the visit that the visitor must wear throughout the visit. The badge is returned to the office for sign-out. During the individual's next visit to any SPS school building, a new badge can easily be produced without the need to re-scan the ID. If you want to learn more about the Hall Pass visitor management system, please visit their website.