Our Empowerment Zone

What makes an Empowerment Zone unique?

Schools in the Springfield Empowerment Zone look the same as most other schools in their neighborhoods. They have similar buildings. Their students come from area families. They are staffed by teachers and principals who work for the city. They are part of the Springfield Public Schools district.

What makes SEZP schools unique is the way they operate.

Unlike traditional schools in the city, our schools are run by SEZP — a partnership between the district, state, and teachers union — and governed by an independent board of directors. As a result, they have wide autonomy to make their own operational decisions, and they have strong accountability for their results.

This unique approach empowers educators to design schools to meet the specific needs of their individual students. And through continual performance measurement and improvement, SEZP works diligently to advance equity and excellence in education.