Summer Bridge pilot had low attendance; district proposes narrower, fee-supported model

District 57 staff presented a review of the Summer Bridge program at the Sept. 23 meeting and proposed changes after a year of pilot operation and a separate summer enrichment pilot.

Dr. Botherhan told the board the district began the Summer Bridge pilot in 2021 using federal ESSER funds; that funding has ended, and the district incurred a net cost of about $14,000 for the most recent summer when it continued both the bridge program and a fee-based enrichment program.

Participation was low: in earlier years 93 students were invited and 40 participated; this summer the district invited 40 students and 27 attended. Average daily attendance was about 70 percent, and nearly half of participants missed three or more days. Fall benchmarking data was limited: staff could analyze outcomes for only 18 students (others had moved away or lacked assessment data). Staff reported mixed academic results, with math gains appearing stronger than reading gains for participating students.

Based on the evaluation, staff recommended continuing Summer Bridge but with a more targeted design: reduce total time and focus on students prioritized for either math or reading support (rather than requiring low performance in both), keep small class sizes, make the program invitation-only, charge a program fee aligned with summer enrichment fees while providing waivers for eligible families, and blend Title I funds with enrichment revenue to sustain small classes.

Staff said they will increase earlier and clearer communications to families and refine reading instruction due to the mixed reading results. The board asked clarifying questions about historic ESSER coverage; staff confirmed ESSER previously covered the program’s full cost and that the district incurred costs in the most recent year when federal funds were no longer available.