Robberson Elementary has officially been spared from the chopping block.

The Springfield school board approved a district recommendation on Tuesday to not close Robberson but instead give it more time to plan its future. The board also approved three other boundary changes that have little or no immediate cost to the district.

"We are just overjoyed," said Becky Johnson, who teaches second grade at Robberson. "It means we have a chance to regroup and really make a good plan for our future."

The existence of the century-old north-side school was threatened early in the boundary review process. Though the proposed closing lost traction in the last two months, there was still a feeling of relief among the 20 or so Robberson teachers and parents at the board meeting.

"We were really worried," Johnson said. "I'm almost speechless right now."

The other three recommendations approved for the boundary review process included:

- Give Study Middle School more time to develop a proposal for a "SPS Choice" program.

- Keep Wilson's Creek as a fifth- and sixth-grade school with the same boundaries.

- Approve the new southwest elementary school's revised boundaries and the adjusted boundaries for McBride and Gray elementary schools.

The southwest school's boundaries for the 2009-2010 school year will also alleviate some overcrowding at Gray and McBride. The new school will receive 99 students from Gray and 241 from McBride.

The board asked that all other recommendations be prioritized for consideration in the spring budget talks, which could be touch-and-go based on state legislation. The district's proposed budget calender, and its deadlines, was the bulk of the board discussion on Monday.

Board member Bruce Renner said that it would be difficult to determine the salary and benefits portion of the budget by March 17, the recommended deadline, if the state funding is not known.

"I prefer to work with real numbers," Renner said, adding that it's unwise to base budget decisions on projections.

Others agreed that the board should adhere to the deadline without knowing what kind of funding to expect from the state.

"We have to enter into it knowing that we will do our best to hit that targeted date," said board member Michael Hoeman.

The board eventually approved the budget calender with the stated understanding that it would strive for the March 17 deadline depending on state funding.

As for the Robberson staff and parents, they will set about the steps of organizing and presenting a formal plan to the district. It will involve year-round schooling, air conditioning and building expansion, according to a document submitted to the board last week.

The latter two components likely would mean another district bond issue, said board president Kris Callen in an earlier interview. And that is not looking too likely this year considering the economic uncertainty.

"It would be silly to air condition Robberson before any possible expansion," Callen said, pointing to Gray and Weller Elementary schools as examples of a comprehensive renovation.

But for Linda Brown, grandmother of a Robberson first-grader, a major victory had already been won.

Her grandson, Bailey, had found success in the school despite a hearing disability, Brown said. And she credits that to the dedication of the Robberson staff.

"My biggest concern was they were going to close it down," Brown said. "I don't know what I would have done."