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Orange County Schools outlines summer camps, Read to Achieve expansion and CTE activities
Summary
District staff presented a detailed summer programming plan including a centralized Read to Achieve camp at River Park Elementary with transportation and free meals, expanded arts partnerships, multilingual STEM and bridge programs, CTE opportunities and information on funding and staffing priorities.
Orange County Schools staff presented an expanded summer programming plan that they say will prioritize student supports, targeted academic recovery and career-technical learning.
Curriculum staff told the board the district will operate a single Read to Achieve camp for eligible second- and third-graders at River Park Elementary, providing bus transportation and free breakfast and lunch. "This summer, we will be at River Park Elementary," the presenter said, adding the camp will deliver the 72 hours of intensive reading instruction required by statute and pair that instruction with arts programming provided through a partnership with the local art center.
The district announced it has broadened its arts partnership to include four artists, now adding ceramics to the offerings, so students receive smaller-class arts instruction aligned with the reading focus.
Other offerings include a multilingual STEM camp (for current fourth through seventh graders), a multilingual high-school bridge program for rising ninth and tenth graders and newcomers, and high-school credit recovery sessions in June and July. Career and technical education activitiesincluding the Summer Careers Academy with community partners and Project Lead the Way engineering campswill also be offered. CTE teacher Avery Pipkin, recognized earlier in the meeting, was thanked for his work with the woodworking lab and Summer Careers Academy.
Staff told the board that Read to Achieve eligibility will be based on mid-year data and that most non-state-funded camps depend on grants or local funds; only the Read to Achieve program is state-funded. The presenter said the YMCA Camp Crush is a paid external program (June 15Aug. 7) that the district will support with bus transportation but not operate directly.
Board members asked about access barriers (for example, part-day programs that end at 1 p.m.), availability of financial aid for paid camps, and the need for performance metrics. The presenter said Camp Crush has its own fee determination and voucher process, and that the district will return metrics and program evaluation results as part of continuous improvement.
District staff emphasized transportation rules tied to a students home domicile in Infinite Campus and explained that internal hiring will prioritize district teachers, teacher assistants and bus drivers through the TalentEd system, with additional roles filled by community partners when appropriate.
Board members encouraged staff to report back with participation metrics and analysis of barriers to access so the district can adjust future offerings.
