Read the following guidelines before applying.

  • Only certified employees of the Springfield Public Schools district may apply for a Back-to-School Grant.
  • Applicants need to think through and itemize the total budget needed to carry out the project they’re requesting funds to complete. This budget will be needed to answer some of the questions on the application.
  • There is no dollar limit on Back-to-School Grant applications. We will accept and review applications for any amount.
  • Grant recipients must follow SPS district purchasing guidelines. No exceptions. Guidelines for district purchasing can be found at this LINK, as well as contact information for the Purchasing Team.
  • Applications WILL NOT be accepted for stipends, salaries, the cost of substitute teachers, or capital improvements.
  • Once your application is complete, print a copy for your records and submit it. A confirmation message will be displayed once your application has been successfully submitted.

TIP: We recommend typing your answers in a Word document first, then copying & pasting them into the application for the following reasons: 1) If the form “times out” before you’ve finished, you will lose your answers when you attempt to submit. 2) The form must be completed in a single session, as the system does not save your responses for later. 3) Grant recipients often need to review their applications, and this ensures that all your information is already saved for easy access.

  • If your grant is for an outdoor classroom, garden project, or anything using the grounds outside, please make sure to get approval from the SPS Grounds Management Department before submitting the application. Email Brittany Taylor (brittanydtaylor@spsmail.org), Director of Custodial & Grounds, and cc: Andrew Hay (athay@spsmail.org), Assistant Director of Custodial & Grounds; or call them at 417-523-0468.
  • If your grant is for technology, it must be approved by the district’s Information Technology & Systems department and District Administration. Grant applications submitted for technology will not be accepted without IT approval. Please complete the IT Request Form for approval. If you have questions concerning IT or about approval, contact Bruce Douglas, Chief of IT, at bdouglas@spsmail.org or call him at 417-523-0156. If you have any issues with submitting the IT Request Form (from your SPS account), please contact the SPS IT Help Desk by phone at: 417-523-HELP or phone extension: 33333
  • We consider the classroom to be anywhere learning occurs, whether that be on a field trip, in the classroom, on the ball field, in the counseling center, library or nurses’ office.