South Washington County Schools reports expanded summer programs; credit recovery yielded 567 credits

At the Sept. 18 South Washington County Schools board meeting in Cottage Grove, Director of Community Education Jake Winchell presented a summer learning update showing expanded summer programming across the district.

Winchell said the district—s credit-recovery session ran in June and involved 467 students who earned a total of 567 credits. "This past summer we saw students engaged in many different programs," Winchell said, adding that Woodbury High School led with 256 credits, East Ridge earned 144, Park High earned 118, the Alternative High School earned 48 and the online school recorded 1 credit. He said four site leads and 46 teachers staffed the credit-recovery program and the district is considering expanding the time available next year to reduce rush and increase recovery opportunities.

Special-education staff described the district—s extended school year (ESY) program, which ran July 14–31 and served just over 400 students across six locations. "Our ESY services do not just serve academic needs; we serve social, emotional, behavioral and transition needs," said Chris Carlson, special education coordinator at Fulton Middle School. Carlson and Andrew Bowes said ESY eligibility is determined in a student—s IEP through regression and recoupment criteria and must be written into the IEP for future participation.

Mary Watts, coordinator at East Ridge High School, described project-based and experiential learning in ESY and said transition-age students (up to age 22) had work-and-learn opportunities through a partnership with Goodwill and placements in district departments such as facilities and nutrition services.

Targeted services for students entering grades 1–8 ran July 7–30 at multiple elementary and middle schools. Staff said elementary programming emphasized hands-on math, research units and STEM activities, and that social-emotional learning using the CharacterStrong curriculum is a required component.

Amy Brinkman, out-of-school-time program manager, outlined the Kids Club summer childcare program, which operated at four primary sites plus some Woodbury Middle School offerings. Brinkman said the program averaged about 175 students per site (roughly 800 students districtwide per day) and relied on approximately 175 regular staff, not including substitutes. "We take time to invest in our staff with training," Brinkman said, noting district and state certification requirements, annual inspections, federal fingerprint background checks every five years for staff, and ongoing accreditation work.

Brinkman detailed fee structures and supports: Kids Club is parent fee-based, with county tuition reimbursement available for qualifying families, a military discount, educational benefits discount, sibling discount, and partial funding through the district—s extended day levy. She said the state—s Great Start compensation program provides additional support for certified programs and that funds go directly to staff compensation.

Board members asked staff about the subjects taught in credit recovery and whether the program improved subsequent attendance or graduation outcomes; Winchell said he would provide details on the specific courses and noted attendance during the summer sessions was a key factor in the number of credits earned. Staff clarified that targeted services and ESY serve different populations and that students may qualify for one or the other but generally not both at the same time unless eligibility and IEPs specify it.

District leaders said planning for 2026 programs is underway and that construction at some sites may require adjustments to locations and capacity. The superintendent—s office and program managers said they will continue to monitor participation and explore expanding available time for credit recovery to help students stay on track for graduation.