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Vermillion School District proposes monthlong middle‑school summer pilot to help chronically absent, failing students
Summary
District staff told the school board on March 9 they plan a one‑month June summer school at the middle school using the Ingenuity platform to target students who miss 20 or more days and who are failing classes; early reports show roughly 34 candidates dropping to about 19 after filtering.
The Vermillion School District 13-1 board heard a proposal March 9 for a one‑month summer school pilot at the middle school intended to help students with chronic absenteeism and multiple failing grades catch up before the next school year.
Becky Sanderson, introduced to the board at the start of the Tanager Happenings segment, described a June program that would use the district’s existing Ingenuity platform, pairing video lessons, practice tests and end‑of‑unit assessments with certified and classified staff facilitators. "We are looking at starting summer school at the middle school," Sanderson said, adding that the program "is about acquiring skills, not just a tedious thing that we're having them do." (Sanderson).
Sanderson said the district is using attendance as a primary screening tool: "Any child that misses 20 days or more would be a candidate," though she emphasized that the threshold would not be automatic and that valid absences would be considered. She told trustees that running a report for students missing 20 days yielded about 34 names and, after filtering out students no longer in the district or otherwise ineligible, that list fell to about 19.
A board member asked for more detail and Mr. Elvey asked trustees to submit specific questions so staff could prepare a fuller presentation at next month’s meeting. Elvey summarized three expected benefits: it answers a long‑standing staff request for middle‑school supports, provides deliberate reteaching of missed material, and—if successful—could change students’ trajectories on attendance and engagement.
Administrators said the district would identify appropriate staff with complementary strengths (math‑ and language‑arts‑focused days) and would contact families before assigning students, giving them an opportunity to opt in or demonstrate improvement that could remove them from consideration. Sanderson said the goal is to build foundational skills so students arrive in high school better prepared.
The board did not take action on the proposal March 9; administrators said they would return with a formal plan that includes staffing, cost estimates and parent notifications at the next meeting.
