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Rome City School District expands summer offerings: LEAP, STEM camps, Project Fibonacci and free meal sites
Summary
Superintendent staff presented an expanded summer schedule including a LEAP program for ~400 elementary students, STEM camps in partnership with Griffith Institute and SUNY Poly, Project Fibonacci scholarships with a NASA guest, extended-year support for students with IEPs, and multiple free meal sites June 30–mid‑August.
Jen De Purno and a district colleague presented the district’s summer program lineup at the June 17 board meeting, describing both traditional offerings and new partnerships designed to broaden enrichment and support student needs.
"We actually have a lot of our traditional, but we also partnered with our community partners to actually bring in some new programs for the summer," Jen De Purno said, introducing details to the board.
Key programs: • LEAP (pre‑K through grade 5) — serving about 400 students, July 7–30 (Mon–Thu, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.) at John Joy Elementary with transportation and breakfast/lunch provided. • STEM circuit camps — partnership with Griffith Institute at Straub Middle School for grades 3–6 (four weeks, full‑day sessions, topics include biology, chemistry, cybersecurity/coding and drones). • Secondary supports — middle school enrichment targeting ~40 eighth graders, high school credit recovery (in person and online), and a two‑week regents boot camp. • SUNY Poly camp — week of Aug. 11 for grades 7–10 with shuttle from RFA to SUNY Polytechnic campus. • Project Fibonacci STEAM leadership camp — week of July 27 with scholarship support for 14 RFA students; Jeanette Epps, a Syracuse native and NASA astronaut, was listed among guest speakers. • Pre‑ETS workforce camps in partnership with BOCES and extended‑year services for students with 12‑month IEPs.
On nutrition, the board heard summer meal plans and site locations across city parks and school sites. The district’s food service representative said summer meals will be available to those 18 and under at multiple parks and school sites starting June 30 with site dates varying by location; eligible families may also apply for Summer EBT benefits administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
District staff said transportation and meals are included for most programs and that program details and signups are posted on the district website. The presentation concluded without objection; board members asked clarifying questions about field trips, BOCES administration of some programs, and transportation costs.
Next steps: finalize rosters and logistics and publish full sign‑up details on ParentSquare and the district website.
