SPS celebrates 20 year anniversary of first early childhood center
The first day of the 2026-2027 school year, Aug. 25, marked the 20th anniversary of Springfield Public Schools early childhood centers.
Shady Dell opened in August 2006 as SPS’ first early childhood center after transitioning from a K-5 school as Weller opened with their expanded campus. Shady Dell opened with 12 classrooms and 175 students enrolled. Prior to the center opening, SPS had a variety of early childhood classrooms in elementary schools or in trailers outside schools. Shady Dell was SPS’ first dedicated space for early childhood education.
“We knew it was special to be the first early childhood center, but I don’t think we realized the significance at the time,” said Anitera Jackson, teacher at Shady Dell in 2006 and current principal at Fulbright Early Childhood Center. “In 2006, we were a small pre-K program. Having a whole building dedicated to early childhood meant that we had a common support system on how to handle issues specific to early learners. We got to build a special community from the ground up that has been a foundation for our early childhood centers today.”
Today, SPS has four dedicated early childhood centers: Shady Dell, Mallory, Campbell and Fulbright, as well as early childhood classrooms in 12 elementary schools across the district. As academic rigor increases in elementary and secondary schools, there are more expectations on early education to prepare students for kindergarten with both academic and social emotional skills. Over the last 20 years, SPS early childhood centers have changed and developed in many ways including expanding classroom capacity and adding specials like art and music to provide safe and engaging environments that allow students to grow and be prepared for what is coming next.
“Having space that is designed for early childhood supports the child as they learn what their role is in the school as a learner,” said Dr. Christy Davis, director of early childhood. “We want to teach students how to gain independence with the right scaffolds in place. Having dedicated space in the district allows for a school family to be developed and for our community to know where they can go and who to trust for their early childhood needs.”
With the district’s early childhood centers, Wonder Years programs at elementary schools, the Parents as Teachers program and the Study Nursery, SPS is committed to not only providing a safe place for students to grow, but an educational setting for them to develop vital skills as an early learner that will set them up for success throughout their time in school.
“Having a space designed for early learners is magical,” said Jackson. “There is a community of teachers, paras and staff that truly believe that we are all here to help each other succeed. We live this commitment each day to not just see our individual students grow, but to see all our students thrive. Being in an early childhood center — whether it’s Fulbright, Campbell, Mallory, or the original Shady Dell — means you are in a space where learning is joyful!”
In August, seven SPS early childhood programs, including the original SPS early childhood center Shady Dell, were recognized by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) with the “Exhibiting High Quality” distinction, the highest recognition given through the Quality Assurance Report (QAR) program. This recognizes early childhood programs that demonstrate strong, consistent practices aligned to Missouri’s early learning standards, including safe and nurturing environments, developmentally appropriate instruction, meaningful family engagement and effective program leadership.
“We hope to provide high-quality preschool opportunities across the entire district,” said Davis. “Overall, we hope that families choose SPS early childhood programs because they know they will have an exceptional experience with our dedicated staff.”
