Shawnee Heights reports summer learning gains, submits bond application to KSDE

The Shawnee Heights Board of Education heard an update on elementary summer programs and was told the district has submitted a bond application to the Kansas State Department of Education for review.

At the meeting, a district presenter identified as “Miss Summer” described a suite of summer offerings. Camp Invention — the district’s 2025 elementary summer enrichment — ran at all four elementary schools and served 357 students in grades 1–5, which the presenter said was 27% of students in those grades. Participation by school: Barrington 79; Chez 72; Tecumseh North 66 (two weeks of instruction); Tecumseh South 140 (two weeks, supported by Title I funding). The presenter said no students were turned away from Camp Invention.

The district also provided intensive summer tutoring using the Wilson Reading program. Kat Cooper, identified in the presentation as the administrator for the summer program, led training for certified tutors. The tutoring program was designed for 30 hours of instruction per student; the district reported an average of 25 hours provided (the shortfall reflecting summer absences). The presenter said 99 at‑risk students in grades 1–3 participated in tutoring.

Assessment results presented to the board showed gains on the district’s common measures. On the timed fluency measure (CBM): 88% of first graders tested showed growth, 74% of second graders and 80% of third graders. On early reading/concepts measures: 71% of first graders, 80% of second graders and 75% of third graders showed growth, measured against each student’s spring baseline.

The district also ran a summer pre‑K program funded through its early childhood block grant. That program was centered out of three elementary sites (Barrington, Shawnee Heights Elementary and Tecumseh North), ran four days a week (Mondays–Thursdays) from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and enrolled 70 students districtwide; 40 of those students (about 57%) were in the district’s targeted at‑risk group. The district reported that, of 32 students tested with the district’s myIGDs measure, 31 (97%) maintained or gained on rhyming skills and 29 (91%) maintained or gained on sound identification; eight students were not tested because of travel, relocation or discontinued enrollment.

Superintendent Miss Meggers thanked custodial, maintenance, transportation and food service staff for their work preparing buildings and serving students, and noted the district has submitted its bond application to KSDE. Meggers said the district met with a KSDE committee to answer application questions and that the application will be on the State Board of Education agenda for approval. “It takes a village,” Meggers said, thanking staff and parents for supporting the start of the school year.

Board members asked clarifying questions about program details, including whether Camp Invention had turned students away (the presenter said it had not) and whether the district tracks repeat participants (the presenter said she did not have that number but could look into it). Board members also asked about the district’s bus routing software; Meggers said the software is being used for routing but the district has not implemented student scan tags or parent tracking.

The summer programs update was informational; no board action was required on the programs themselves. The superintendent’s separate report included the bond application status and operational notes about transportation and food service.