After 100 years, Springfield's Jarrett Middle School preps for mid-year transition to new building

Come Monday, Springfield teacher Greg Gillham will scurry up the steps of the historic Jarrett Middle School to greet students on the first day — just as he has every year for the past 25.

But there is nothing ordinary about this first day or the school year that will follow.

Jarrett, one of the oldest buildings operated by Springfield Public Schools, will enter its 100th year of serving children and their families.

Nearly 500 students in grades 6-8 will spend the first half of the year learning — just as others have for decades — in the stately but austere structure at 840 S. Jefferson Ave., just north of Grand Street and west of Missouri State University.

But sometime in January, after winter break, students and teachers will relocate to the new Jarrett, which is being constructed on Portland Street.

More: From the archives: The origin story of Jarrett Middle School, which turns 100 this year

The $41.5 million project, the most expensive piece of the 2019 bond issue, will result in a building with extra space inside and out. There will be enhanced safety features, state-of-the-art classrooms, and improved accessibility.

There will be more natural light, more green space, and room to grow.

"We're flexible. We're excited whenever we get to the new building. We are excited to have something brand new. The kids are excited about the new space," Gillham said. "It is going to put us closer to Parkview (High School), which I am excited about, since our students transition to that building eventually."

He added: "The closer we can be, and feel part of that community, is great."

In planning for the pivotal year, Principal Kirk Slater said much thought went into how to celebrate the long legacy of Jarrett while making the mid-year transition as seamless as possible for teachers, support staff and families.

"It's quite a year," he said. "It's not just celebrating 100 years of serving families but also moving into a new building."

Slater, starting his fourth year at Jarrett, spent time digging through historical records to verify when Jarrett — one of three junior highs built in the early 1920s — opened.

He learned the cornerstone of the building states 1921, marking the start of construction, but classes were not held inside until 1923.

"I spent part of the summer figuring out if it was, in fact, the 100th year," he said.

Through the fall, Jarrett will celebrate its history and the role it played in educating multiple generations of Springfieldians.

A 100th birthday party is planned for Sept. 13, the evening all district buildings will open to the public as part of a simultaneous SPS University event.

Gillham, a veteran in the building, said he often runs into people who have a connection to Jarrett.

"Jarrett has a really good mix of families represented here. It's kind of in the middle of town so it has the best of what Springfield has to offer," Gillham said. "It's close by the university, which has been a great resource. It's really been a good place."

More: New Springfield school year starts Monday. Here are 8 changes to know

However, the neighborhood that surrounds Jarrett has changed dramatically in the past few decades. The single-family homes were torn down and apartment buildings, much of it aimed at Missouri State students, has been built in its place.

In a quarter-century, Gillham taught in "seven or eight" classrooms. He was there when the school was retrofitted with air conditioning and, more recently, when safety upgrades were made to the front entrance.

Parents, church groups and district crews have painted the walls, polished the wood and concrete floors, and freshened up the common spaces.

A few years ago, when the doors were given modern locks, he kept the old skeleton key that went to the classroom he'll call home this fall.

"It does have either a rustic or classic — a great retro feel — about it," he said of Jarrett. "A lot of rooms still have wooden floors in them."

Slater agreed the aging building has its charms.

"If you tried to build a building like this, just the craftsmanship, it would cost a fortune," he said.

But, he added, that doesn't mean it is ideal for today's expectations. The infrastructure is old, the bathrooms are outdated and inconveniently located. The classrooms are small in places, and the auditorium is located at the top of the stairs.

"The thought of moving into the new $41 million building trumps everything," Slater said. "You get something brand new."

This summer, Jarrett assistant principal Margaret "Margo" Griffith joined members of the newly recommissioned Community Task Force on Facilities for a tour of the new facility, which is still under construction.

The original task force, which met in 2018, recommended the Jarrett project be part of the $168 million bond issue, which voters supported the following year.

"They were blown away. We all were," she said. "It really is just such a special facility for our students. We are excited that they are going to get to walk through that new building that is just for them."

The competition-size gym will also double as a "storm shelter."

The new structure has space for collaboration. The common spaces are big enough for all the students to gather.

"It's going to be very inclusive. All of the students will be together, no matter what their abilities are," she said. "They are just as capable and just as important as everyone else."

The volume and configuration of stairs in the original Jarrett made it difficult for students with mobility issues.

In the new space, each grade level will have rooms with accordion-style doors. Closed, they are a wall of windows. They can open to allow classrooms to collaborate with each other.

Slater said the new building will also allow the district to move forward with a focus on STEAM — science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math.

"The way the building is configured is conducive to STEAM," he said.

Unlike a magnet program, which admits applicants based on a lottery system, STEAM will be a choice program located in a traditional school building. It is designed to serve students who live in the attendance area as well as transfer students.

In adopting the approach, the district will look for businesses and community groups to partner with Jarrett.

Jarrett is in the process of hiring a STEAM coordinator to plan quarterly cross-discipline and cross-curricular projects and immersive lessons. There will also be a special focus for each of the semesters.

Slater said even with the new bells and whistles, the fundamentals of how Jarrett serves its families, many of whom struggle to make ends meet, will not change.

"The district has bent over backward to make sure we are equipped to continue to serve families," he said.

He said Jarrett is committed to maintaining its traditions, such as selecting top students each month as the Tall Trojan — an honor that refers to the school mascot.

Sonya McDonald spent nearly three decades teaching physical education and coaching at Jarrett. She retired this summer but will return, part-time, this fall to coach archery, track and cross country.

She said Jarrett's small, landlocked campus has limited green space, making athletic and extracurricular activities a challenge.

For example, they had to run diagonally to reach the length of 50 meters. There will be a full, three-lane track at the new Jarrett, which is nestled in a quieter neighborhood with less traffic.

"I'm excited for the kids to have an adequate place to run, a safe place to run," she said.

At the new Jarrett, there are plans for a garden and an outdoor classroom.

"What makes Jarrett is the family atmosphere. It's always been like a family," she said. "Everybody just sort of helps each other."

Gillham, who has also coached, said the new building will allow Jarrett to create different traditions. He is excited for what the space will mean for families.

Asked to describe Jarrett to an outsider, he chose the words "family" and "legacy."

"Families aren't perfect. They go through bumps and bruises but Jarrett has been a good family," he said. "It's still a place where wholesome things are happening. It has a lot of forgiveness, and a lot of encouragement for the future."

Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jarrett Middle School in Springfield undergoes changes after 100 years