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District presents expanded summer programs; staff cite strong participation and retention
Summary
ISD 622 staff reported high participation in multiple summer programs — including targeted academic supports, credit recovery, Freedom Schools, and childcare offerings — and described operational details, enrollment counts and cost/fee options for families.
District leaders presented a detailed overview of summer programming on Sept. 22, saying the district provided a range of academic and enrichment offerings that served thousands of students and required hundreds of staff to operate.
Stephanie Gokin, principal overseeing alternative education summer programs, told the board the district offered about nine different program types across multiple sites and that targeted services (K–8) enrolled about 750 students across four sites. "We had students that earned a total of 45 credits" in pilot bridge‑to‑high‑school coursework, Gokin said, and the district’s five‑week credit recovery program served about 300 students who collectively earned "over 800 credits" to help students stay on track for graduation.
Jill Kenton, student services supervisor, described the extended school year (ESY) special education services: "We had roughly 330 kids from birth to 22 serviced" across pre‑K and other sites; ESY ran three weeks, four days a week, five hours a day. Kenton also said Summer Blast — the readiness program for children not yet ready for kindergarten — served 39 kindergartners this year.
Isabel Davies, district climate and culture specialist, described Freedom Schools (the Children’s Defense Fund model) as a literacy‑ and character‑focused enrichment program. Davies reported program assessments showed 88 percent of Freedom School participants experienced no summer literacy loss.
Kurt New, who represents Adventure Connection and Epic Connection school‑age care programs, said the district served 529 students in those care programs this summer (about 454 in Adventure Connection and 88 in Epic Connection). New noted strong staff retention — many site managers and paras returned year‑to‑year — and that the district may expand to a fifth Adventure Connection site to meet demand.
A district youth programs presenter said the summer network provided 61,727 meals, traveled 39,000 miles in transportation for trips and services, engaged more than 2,394 participating students and employed more than 300 staff across eight sites.
Board members asked about program costs and equity. Staff said pricing varies by schedule option: a "pick your week" model, a "pick your day" model, and a more affordable "prime time" option; the working estimate provided was about $42 per day under the pick‑your‑week schedule. Staff also said the district accepts county assistance for families and estimated that roughly 15–20 percent of families use county assistance for fees. Staff emphasized that several programs, including Freedom Schools and some specialty offerings, were free to families and that scholarships reduce cost barriers.
Discussion also covered credit recovery: staff explained students who are behind creditwise can use credit recovery (during the school year or summer) to make up missed coursework, often through tailored, mastery‑based assessments so students only retake portions they need. Staff said the district pays for ACT testing for juniors and runs bridge programs to support transitions to middle and high school.
Board members praised staff and expressed appreciation for the district’s summer offerings, retention of trained staff, and the impact on students who need extra academic time.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to monitor demand and staffing, with plans for possible site expansion and continued data tracking on attendance and outcomes.
