In the television series The Simpsons, Springfield Elementary School is the name of the school that Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and their peers attend.
Horribly underfunded and suffering from the incompetence and apathy of its administration, teachers and staff, Springfield Elementary is a satirical comment on the state of publicly funded schools and education in the United States. As an illustrative example and parody of the lengths to which some schools are willing to go in an attempt to overcome underfunding, some Springfield Elementary School students (specifically Brandine's and Cletus' children) are purposely excluded from state or federal standardized testing regimes. The impetus being the maintenance of artificial school-wide averages and therefore basic levels of government support—a practice not unheard of in the United States and other systems where funding is tied to test results.
Established in episodes "Separate Vocations" and "Pokey Mom", the school's mascot is a puma. Notably revealed in the episode "Lisa Gets an 'A'", Springfield Elementary was at one time voted "The Most Dilapidated School in Missouri"—it was then moved, brick-by-brick, to Springfield. It has been stated many times that the school is filled with asbestos. Underfunding of the school has resulted in a variety of troubling scenarios for students and staff. Sub-standard facilities abound, including a cinder block having replaced the school's tether ball, cafeteria food made from circus animals, shredded newspaper, and old gym mats, among others (only the teachers eat French fries made from potatoes).
For a few episodes the school also had a tower with a winding staircase within which led to an observation area. This has since been removed. Other short period additions include a disabled ramp access system built by the local mafia and other constructions. In one episode the presentation hall is bulldozed to make way for a mini-mall.
The school's address is 19 Plympton Street, revealed in the episode "Bart on the Road" when Principal Seymour Skinner receives an envelope addressed to the school containing his airline tickets to Hong Kong.
