MSD Lawrence Township outlines Summer Learning Academy plan focusing on remediation and IREAD requirements

MSD Lawrence Township officials presented details of the district’s Summer Learning Academy, scheduled Monday–Thursday, June 8–25, with elementary hours 8 a.m.–2 p.m., middle-school hours 9 a.m.–1 p.m., and extended online and credit-recovery options for high-school students.

The district said the program will serve rising grades 1–8, with required attendance for any current 2nd and 3rd graders who did not pass the IREAD exam. Students who are within 10 iReady points of proficiency or below proficiency will be encouraged to attend; exceptions may be made at a principal’s discretion. The district plans pre- and post-assessments to measure outcomes and said K–8 curriculum will be aligned with IREAD and ILEARN standards.

Officials described supports and logistics: transportation will be provided to school sites, and breakfast and lunch will be offered. Aftercare is available Monday–Thursday at $50 per week; two additional Fridays in June (June 12 and June 26) will be offered at $40 per day at Amy Beverland and Skiles Test to support sites with construction. The district also plans a childcare option from June 29 through July 24 at Amy Beverland and Skiles Test for $175 per week.

At the high-school level, in-person credit-recovery opportunities will run June 8–25 and the district’s LTech online option will extend through July 23. The district said LTech is primarily virtual and asynchronous and that high-school course offerings and specific credit options will be communicated by the high schools in their annual spring materials.

Staffing and reimbursement: the district said priority hiring will go to certified staff who have completed the 25 hours of state-required literacy training needed for certain DOE reimbursements. Officials said they will include exceptional-learner and multilingual-learner staff at each site and meet a minimum class-size threshold of 15:1 to comply with reimbursement rules. Regarding cost-sharing, Mr. Miles said state reimbursement varies by year and program but typically covers “right around 50%” of costs; district staff reported about $500,000 in state reimbursement last year. The district intends to use Title I and II funds, IDEA (Part B), a Lilly grant Phase 2 allocation, and the education fund to cover remaining costs.

Retention policy and testing: board members asked about students who decline summer programs. Presenters reiterated that state rules require remediation pathways and that third-grade students who fail IREAD without a documented good-cause exemption face retention; the district said students have up to three chances to test (rounds include the just-completed window, a May window and the post-summer opportunity).

The presentation concluded with questions about staffing selection and program flexibility; district staff said principals will review invitations and that instructional time will be individualized for students who only need limited remediation. No formal board vote was required for the update.

The district will distribute specific high-school course lists and site assignments to families in the weeks before summer enrollment.