My family and I moved here from KY. We looked at Nixa and Ozark (both have great school systems as well as Republic and Willard) but settled on south Springfield. From a teaching standpoint, I think it really varies school to school, but I am really impressed with the SPS superintendent and we have been very happy with the schools as parents. (I have kids from elementary to high school.) When looking for housing, I would recommend south Springfield or northeast if you’re staying in town. But a lot of people also really like living in the middle of town — the University Heights and Rountree subdivisions.

There are a lot of great restaurants— you can do a search on this subreddit and find some great recommendations. Greek Belly is one of our favorites. You’ll also hear people recommend Cafe Cusco but it took me 4 tries before I found something I liked there (the pork tacos, fYI). :)

https://www.reddit.com/r/springfieldMO/wiki/index/moving-to-springfield-mo/

Just outside of Springfield, the town of Republic seems to be blowing up. A lot of things happening there and it doesn’t seem to be a bad place to land. Had my wife and I bought a house a couple years later, we could have ended up there. I just didn’t want to live so far away from the heart of Springfield

My wife teaches in Springfield, it is the best paying district in this area. Is it the best? Maybe not, but she has been in a couple of the smaller towns before, and then you get their clicks running the whole show.

I hear good things about Nixa for the most part. It has been a while since I have spent any real time there. We landed just south of Bolivar about 10 years ago. I didn't know anything north of Springfield before that. We are pretty happy with this area.

My wife and I grew up in Springfield and both work there, but neither of us have any desire to live in the city ever again. It is good to be close by, but it is really nice to escape the nonsense.

The best thing I can say is that it depends on who YOU are. Springfield has a diverse number of communities that work well for many different individuals. Cool thing is, you can find your people here.

Most of the school districts in and around Springfield are pretty good. SPS pays the best, but it is not the best district to work in. It's not bad, most of the others on the area are just better. I have heard some stories about Willard not being great, but I know a lot of teachers from the area and not many have bad things to say about their districts. There are a lot very close to Springfield if you do not end up in SPS. Missouri teacher retirement is pretty awesome. I think Marshfield is the closest to Springfield with a four-day week.

Pros: Bass Pro Shops

Cons: They don’t matter compared to the glory of Bass Pro Shops

NHS is among the best school in the state.

Just don’t have sex with students like my old teacher did and you’ll be fine lmao

Nixa's test scores are really good, but at the expense of any sort of autonomy on the teacher's part. I personally think standardized test scores are a terrible way to judge a school, but Nixa has bought in fully. I know about a dozen teachers that teach there and they're ready to have a mutiny. Most are planning their exits. Nixa has no choice though; there's nothing else going on in Nixa. It's a bedroom community for Springfield's professionals, and they are voting for school board members to keep their test scores high, to keep their property values high, in the hopes that people moving in will equate high standardized test scores with a good school.

Many school districts are facing this same problem, but it's particularly bad in Nixa. Working for Springfield Public Schools is OK, but hit or miss depending on your principal. The deficiency in Springfield seems to be in the administration above principals but below the superintendent.

I'm a teacher in a surrounding district, and my district is awesome. I love it, and school system stands for what is genuinely important in education, and they follow through on their actions in student and teacher support. I'm not going to say what it is though, because I know some of my students are here.

Nixa is crazy expensive as far as property and real estate taxes. I'm not a fan of the town either. My foster parents retired there, and it just didn't mesh with me. But, Ozark is very up and coming. I live in Bolivar, moved here from Springfield, so I obviously favor the small town vibe. I grew up on the north side of Springfield, but its not the same city any longer. I've never lived on the south side, but as far as shopping, etc it's where I go.

It all depends on what you want. Springfield is the buckle of the Bible belt, and Niva is the epicenter. Springfield is a bigger city, but still has a smaller feel than many. Check out Bolivar, if you want a rural environment. Republic is growing too.

Buying a house on the outskirts of Springfield, like Nixa or Repbulic is crazy expensive, like double what you’d pay in Springfield! When we moved we looked in those places but ended up in Springfield because while still expensive, it was the affordable of the places!! In perspective, we looked at a house for the same price we paid for the one we bought in Springfield, in Nixa, the house in Nixa was rat infested, smelled weird (we think meth) the kitchen cabinets where falling off, and it was gross! The one we bought for the same price in Springfield is beautiful and not ray infested lol. Good luck!!

We moved here in August of 2022. We looked at Nixa but didn't really care for the prices of property there, among other things. We don't have children at home anymore, so wasn't concerned about schools. We found a beautiful home in the upper northwest side of town. It feels rural and quiet, but we are just minutes from town. I love the variety of eating options here. As others noted, literally anything you are in the mood for. My waistline, however, has not adjusted to this....lol.... I have found the people here to be most helpful in giving me good recommendations. I believe our move here was a sound one, and I am enjoying all the different intricacies of being in Springfield. I know that Nixa is the place to be for schools. However, I find it to be very much a highway town, and this was another of the reasons we did not consider moving there. Good luck on your move!

[deleted]

Just don't. Lol