Stevens Point reports record summer-school enrollment; 13 students earn diplomas in CFC pilot

The Stevens Point Area Public School District reported on Sept. 9 that its 2024 summer school program enrolled 2,730 students and required expanded staffing and building use to meet demand. District co-coordinators said a pilot program at the Charles Fernandez Center (CFC) extended instruction for some at-risk students and enabled 13 students to earn diplomas this summer who otherwise might not have graduated.

District leaders said the summer program employed 194 teachers, 108 educational assistants and 50 youth tutors, and that transportation handled just under 1,000 requests to bring students to summer sites. Co-coordinator Jen Melville, assistant principal at SPASH, said the transportation department’s flexibility was critical to getting students to summer classes when routes had to be adjusted at the last minute.

Why it matters: Board members and staff characterized the summer program as a large operational effort that helps students recover credits, keep academic momentum and in some cases complete high-school requirements. The CFC pilot’s 13 diplomas were highlighted as a direct outcome of extending instructional time for students at risk of not returning as fifth-year seniors.

Program details and outcomes: Co-coordinator Darla Panoski, elementary curriculum and instruction coordinator, said the district ran credit-recovery sections at the secondary level (25 students enrolled; six staff) and that buildings used this summer included Kennedy, McKinley, Madison, Roosevelt, MacDill, Ben Franklin, PJs, SPASH and CFC. The district also partnered with the YES program to provide wraparound services at some sites.

Staffing and scheduling: After surveying families and staff, the district adopted a four-week instructional model split by a one-week July break (the district had trialed a two-week break previously). Panoski said parents overwhelmingly preferred the single-week break and that the schedule helped recruitment and retention of summer staff. The district also instituted a “no late registration” window to stabilize enrollments and allow transportation and building staff to finalize routes and rosters sooner.

Family and staff feedback: The district received 56 parent responses and 84 staff responses to post-summer surveys. Officials said parents and staff reported high satisfaction with communication, program options and the level of support. The no-late-registration policy, they said, reduced last-minute changes that had previously complicated staffing and routing.

Capacity limits and next steps: Board members pressed staff on what “max” capacity means for buildings and HR; Melville said some buildings (for example, Roosevelt) reached every classroom in use and could not add sections without additional staffing or another building. Staff said continued growth could require expanded community partnerships (for example, with UWSP) or opening additional locations and that planning for 2025 has already begun.

Cost and funding context: Administrators said summer programming is largely cost neutral because of federal reimbursement (staff estimated roughly a 40% reimbursement tied to participation), but acknowledged that expansion would have budget implications. Officials said some cost and FTE calculations are complex because state formulas convert minutes and enrollments into FTE equivalencies.

Board discussion and follow-up: Board members asked about longitudinal outcomes; Melville said the district aligns summer curricula to DPI priority standards, maintains grade-level rubrics, and plans to track cohorts using fall screening data to evaluate academic impact. The district described the CFC pilot as a pilot that will be evaluated for possible continuation or expansion.

Ending note: Board members and administrators praised staff and new teachers who worked summer programming and said planning for 2025 is already underway.