04-02-2025
Springfield Public Schools finalizes purchase of property for new Pipkin Middle School
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Springfield Public Schools (SPS) has finalized its purchase of the property that will become the new Pipkin Middle School.
According to a press release from SPS, the district closed on the 8.86 acre property previously owned by the General Council of the Assemblies of God on Jan. 21, 2025. The purchase now paves the way for construction of a new campus.
'We are pleased that we have achieved this important milestone and are positioned to move forward with building a new middle school for students in midtown Springfield,' said Dr. Grenita Lathan, superintendent of SPS. 'Our community was committed to keeping Pipkin as close to its current location as possible. Soon residents will start to see visible signs of progress.'
The property is located a quarter of a mile from the current Pipkin campus, according to SPS, and is bordered by West Division Street on the north, West Lynn Street on the south and North Campbell Avenue on the east.
The SPS Board of Education approved purchasing the property in March 2024 after a search for a parcel of land large enough to accommodate a modern middle school. Funds to purchase the property and build the new school were made possible by Proposition S, which voters authorized in April 2023.
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Prop S issued $220 million in general obligation bonds to fund 'critical school improvements prioritized by a citizen task force', according to SPS. Those improvements were identified to include safety and security upgrades at all school facilities, SPS says, as well as renovations for Pershing, storm shelters at Cowden, Holland, Mann, Pittman, Watkins and Wilder elementaries, and new construction for Reed Academy and Pipkin.
The plan for the new Pipkin building is focused on giving students and teachers more classroom space and room to host activities outdoors. Dr. Travis Shaw, deputy superintendent of SPS, says it's also about addressing student safety while giving the community something to be proud of.
'We want to make sure that all of the safety aspects that we have established as being the criteria that all schools need to have, are there,' Shaw said. 'But it's also about really, we want kids to love walking into that building. We want teachers to love walking into that building because when we know we have that, that really just enhances the learning that can take place.'
The current Pipkin facility opened in 1925, and SPS says it has the lowest condition score of any building in the district due to plumbing, electrical and other infrastructure challenges. Pipkin's current location also poses a student safety challenge, as students currently load and unload from buses and vehicles along Boonville Avenue.
Shaw said construction for the new building is estimated at $53 million and includes everything from architectural and engineering costs to interior fixtures and furniture. Shaw said demolition is also estimated in that multi-million dollar price tag.
The demolition of existing structures on the property is expected to begin in March and SPS says construction should be complete by 2027.
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