Neighbors urge Springfield R‑XII to reconsider Pershing Middle School placement

Sharon Benton and Patrick Mueller, homeowners adjacent to Pershing Middle School, told the Springfield R‑XII Board of Education they oppose the district’s proposed placement of the new Pershing Middle School and urged the board to reconsider the site selection.

Benton, whose property borders Pershing on the east side, said neighbors were not contacted and described the proposed design as creating “an alley … a no man’s land” between back fences and the school. “That doesn’t sound very safe to me,” she said, and asked the board to provide cost details and justify use of the bond funds. Benton cited the bond’s roughly $60,000,000 price tag and said residents want a second look at the location plans.

Patrick Mueller, who lives on Alameda Street next to Pershing’s northeast corner, said the district has existing green space that could house a new track and parking and urged a phased approach that would keep the school in its current location. “I urge you to take a beat and ask more than one rebuild plan for this $60,000,000 project,” Mueller said, arguing that moving the building closer to private homes will cause permanent quality‑of‑life impacts even if student disruption during construction is minimized.

Board members did not take action on the comments; the public comment period is advisory and the board said items related to site selection would be considered as part of upcoming project briefings and bond‑related agenda items. The district has scheduled related votes and presentations for its Oct. 28 regular meeting, according to staff statements during the meeting.