Public school education began in Springfield in 1867; today, Central High and Lincoln School are on the National Register of Historic Places. Public elementary and secondary schools in Springfield are part of the School District of Springfield R-XII, the third-largest public school system in Missouri. An elected seven-member, nonpartisan board of education selects the superintendent. Special courses for high school students are available through Ozarks Technical Community College.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Springfield public schools as of the 2003–2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 24,119
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 37
middle schools: 9
senior high schools: 5
other: 2 (including one alternative education center and one gifted center)
Student/teacher ratio: 22:1
Teacher salaries average: $38,065
Funding per pupil: $6,000 to $7,000 average (varies per school)
Private schools are Assemblies of God Christian School, Christian Schools of Springfield, New Covenant Academy, Springfield Catholic School System, Seventh-Day Adventist School, and Springfield Lutheran School.
Public Schools Information: Springfield Public Schools, 940 N. Jefferson Ave., Springfield, MO 65802; telephone (417)523-0000.
Southwest Missouri State University is Springfield's largest institution of higher learning and the second-largest university in the state. It enrolls nearly 20,000 students and awards associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees in more than 80 disciplines in its 7 colleges, which include the colleges of business administration, education, natural and applied sciences, health and human services, arts and letters, and humanities and public affairs. The first doctoral program to be offered by the university was recently initiated in audiology. Private, church-related colleges are Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Baptist Bible College, Baptist Bible Graduate School of Theology, Central Bible College, Drury University, and Evangel University; all offer a predominantly liberal arts curriculum at the undergraduate level, while Assemblies of God and Drury University grant graduate degrees. Ozarks Technical Community College, St. John's School of Nursing, Bryan Career College, Springfield College, Lester L. Cox College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Vatterott College provide vocational and technical education. Also in Springfield is the Forest Institute of Psychology.
The Springfield-Greene County Library District's main library is a newer facility that occupies an 82,000-square-foot former home improvement store and features a café, gift shop, and other amenities. The former Main Library was recently renovated to make it a cozier neighborhood library where patrons are welcomed with more reading chairs. With eight branches and a state-of-the-art bookmobile, the system has holdings of well over half a million volumes in addition to periodicals and special collections in such areas as genealogy and Missouri history, and Ozarks folklore. Southwest Missouri State University maintains the Duane G. Meyer Library, which houses a collection of more than 835,000 volumes and current subscriptions to 3,600 periodicals and newspapers, as well as the Greenwood Laboratory School Library, a music department library, and a campus library in West Plains. Assemblies of God Graduate School, Baptist Bible College, Central Bible College, Drury University, and Evangel University house holdings ranging from approximately 60,000 to more than 175,000 volumes. Specialized libraries located in the city are operated by the Missouri State Court of Appeals and the Springfield Art Museum among other organizations.
Public Library Information: Springfield-Greene County Public Libraries, 4653 South Campbell, Springfield, MO 65810; telephone (417)874-8110; fax (417)874-8121