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Full‑service community schools grant reinstated; Herrin CUSD 4 to shorten summer program and offer weekly food pickup
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Summary
Herrin CUSD 4 staff told the board the full‑service community schools grant removed in December was reinstated through June 30; the district will shorten its summer remedial/enrichment program to about eight days for budget reasons but will run an afternoon program funded by the grant and a weekly pickup lunch program for families.
Mister Wilson told the Herrin CUSD 4 Board of Education on March 24 that a full‑service community schools grant that had been removed in December has been reinstated for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year through June 30. “That full service community schools grant that was taken away suddenly in December, it has been reinstated through June 30,” he told the board.
Why it matters: The grant reinstatement restores funding for an afternoon program this spring and permits a district‑run food service effort during the summer, which the district says will support students and families who rely on school meals.
Because of budget constraints, district staff said the traditional multi‑week summer enrichment and remedial offering will be significantly reduced for 2026. Mister Wilson said the program will be “about a half a program” compared with recent years and estimated roughly eight days of district‑run summer sessions focusing on remedial services with a few enrichment options remaining.
In addition, Miss Coffey has organized a weekly pickup lunch program at the junior high, modeled on a Mount Vernon approach the staff described as a reimbursement program: families will sign up and pick up one distribution a week containing about a week’s worth of lunches. Mister Wilson said the pickup program will be open to students age 18 and under from anywhere in the area, not limited solely to district students.
Board members asked whether the district has formal evidence that prior summer programs improved academic outcomes. Mister Wilson said he does not have a district‑wide formal assessment of academic gains from previous summer offerings and that some individual programs (notably at the high school) may have internal data.
What’s next: Staff indicated they will advertise sign‑ups and begin outreach; the full‑service community schools grant remains funded through June 30 while district staff work on the longer‑term agreement.
