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Committee recommends targeted Summer Academy; debate centers on shortened schedule, lost ESSER funding and whether to fund transportation
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Summary
Staff proposed a targeted Summer Academy (June 15—625, Monday Thursday, content-specific ELA mornings and math afternoons) funded from district tax dollars after ESSER ended; board and community members pressed hard on transportation, equity, attendance and prior costs (transportation ~$46,000; a cited $200,000 total spend figure).
District staff recommended returning to a targeted Summer Academy model to sustain learning gains and address summer learning loss, proposing June 15—625 (Monday Thursday), shortened days and content-specific instruction (ELA mornings, math afternoons) for students identified by universal screeners (DIBELS for ELA; Delta Math RTII for math).
The presentation included outcome data: about 70—73% of invited students attended at least 75% of the sessions; post-summer re-screening showed mixed results (for ELA, roughly 28% decreased, 64% maintained and 9% improved; for math, roughly 36% decreased, 44% maintained and 20% improved). Presenters said the program was previously funded with ESSER grants but those funds have ended, so the district will cover the program from tax dollars and continue seeking grants.
Board members and parents devoted extended discussion to access and cost. One board member noted the district paid "46,000 something" for transportation last year; another raised a broader cost figure asserted by a board member that "we spent over $200,000 for 200 students for 70% attendance." Several members argued transportation is an access issue for students who most need the program and urged continuing to offer or subsidize buses; staff said invitations will be data-driven, scholarships and foundation support could be options, and the budget process in January will present several alternatives.
Staff recommended no district-provided transportation in the baseline plan but said they could revisit the decision during the budget process and explore sliding-scale fees, deposits, scholarships, foundation support and nominal fees to incentivize attendance. Committee members emphasized the district should weigh fiscal constraints and equity tradeoffs before finalizing the plan.
The committee did not make a final funding decision during the meeting; staff will return in January with budget scenarios and further recommendations.
