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Norfolk outlines free summer STARS, credit recovery and enrichment programs for 2025
Summary
The district presented its summer program plan: elementary Pre‑K through high school offerings—free to families—focused on remediation, enrichment, credit recovery, AP prep and supports for students with disabilities; the division reported positive interim outcomes from the 2024 summer program.
Norfolk Public Schools presented a summary of the district’s 2025 summer programs at the May 7 School Board work session, describing expanded in‑person and hybrid options designed to support remediation, credit recovery and enrichment at no cost to families.
The district’s Summer STARS (Successful Thinkers Are Ready Students) offerings include elementary programming across 13 sites, a 4‑year‑old summer literacy camp, Camp Einstein (pre‑algebra readiness for rising sixth graders), a Summer Arts Academy, Green STEM experiences and English Learner newcomer programming. Middle‑school sites will consolidate programming at a single middle school this year to consolidate costs and coordinate transportation, the presentation said. High school summer school will run in a hybrid model (in person two days per week, live online two days per week) with host sites and synchronous online instruction.
District staff said programs will continue to be free for students and families. For students who were unsuccessful in a course during the regular year, the STARS credit‑recovery options provide condensed instruction (summer retakes typically use 70–140 hour models). Students seeking initial credit will use Virtual Virginia course options at no cost. The district also said it retains a supply of MiFi devices (acquired during the pandemic) that can be activated for students without home Internet access and that Chromebooks will be distributed on the first day of summer school when needed.
Staff cited program outcomes from summer 2024: among students enrolled in summer school, 50.7% showed reading improvement from spring to fall and 35.1% showed mathematics improvement over the same interval. The district said those results are consistent with expectations for targeted remediation and that expanding AP camps and credential boot camps remain part of the plan.
Board members asked about Extended School Year eligibility (IEP driven) for students with disabilities and about targeted supports to help students off track for Advanced Studies diploma pathways; staff said ESY eligibility remains an IEP team decision and reiterated summer options for credit recovery and Virtual Virginia initial‑credit routes.
No board vote was taken. The administration said applications for many summer programs had just closed and programming will proceed as described.
