Winchester Schools win nearly $600,000 state grant to expand summer and after-school services for English learners

Winchester Public Schools will run a state-funded extended school year program this summer for English learners and newly arrived students after the division secured a Virginia Department of Education grant the administration calls WELCOME.

The program targets rising fifth- through eighth-grade students on the Daniel Morgan campus and will run a 16-day summer session that supports both language acquisition and core academic content, followed by after-school and Saturday programming through February of next year. "This is funded by the Virginia Department of Education, and it will cover 2, fiscal years," Miss Buckley said during the May 27 school board meeting.

School officials said the award totals nearly $600,000 across two fiscal years and will serve up to 50 rising fifth- through eighth-grade students this summer. The program will provide English-language instruction plus content-area teachers, at least two field trips per week during summer programming, PBIS incentives, peer mentoring, and Saturday field trips in the first months of the school year.

Buckley said the division selected the Daniel Morgan campus because its needs assessment showed the campus had a notable share of newcomers and economically disadvantaged students and because language acquisition is typically easier at younger ages. She told the board the division’s needs assessment reported 61 students identified as economically disadvantaged at the Daniel Morgan campus and that more than one-third of students there are English language learners. Buckley also said newly arrived students in the division currently speak 37 different languages.

Board members asked about parent uptake, screening metrics and transportation. Buckley said parent liaisons have been contacting families and that invitations went out once funding was confirmed. "It will be implemented this summer?" a board member asked. "Absolutely. On June 10," Buckley replied.

Program evaluation will include a prescreener and an exit screener of language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and a student self-efficacy survey. The division also plans to track academic gains for participants as part of the grant reporting.

Officials said the grant was written after the state directed applicants to focus on a specific subgroup of students; Winchester initially sought broader funding but revised the application to target newcomers and English learners. School staff said the program will replace some services previously supported by the Aspire grant and will supplement existing remediation budgets in other schools.

The board received the update during the May 27 meeting; no vote on the grant was recorded that evening.