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Charles County Public Schools outlines 2026 summer programing, including boost, camps and paid youth employment
Summary
District staff described Summer Boost for K—'—, middle and high summer school, special-education ESY services, enrichment camps and paid youth employment; some enrichment options carry fees while elementary boost remains free with transportation and meals.
District staff presented a comprehensive summer program update on March 20, outlining schedules, eligibility and costs for the 2026 offerings.
Doctor Lewis described the elementary Summer Boost (rising kindergarten through fifth grade), running July 6—through July 23, Monday—through Thursday, 8 a.m.—to noon, with transportation, breakfast and lunch provided. Staff said they will prioritize outreach to students identified via diagnostics and will ask schools to make personal outreach to families who are invited to attend.
Middle and high school summer school will continue with in-person make-up and original credit options; high school original-credit virtual courses (for acceleration) carry a $300 fee, while credit-recovery and mandated summer school for graduation requirements remain free and are funded by the district. Special education extended-school-year (ESY) services will be provided based on IEP determinations with transportation and meals included.
The district will run enrichment and career-exploration camps: K—through 8 enrichment camps have a $150 fee and run 8:30 a.m.—to 2 p.m.; AP bootcamps for incoming AP students are $150; some career-exploration pathways are free. Staff also described a summer youth employment program (paid placements, prioritized for rising 11th and 12th graders) and specialized camps for students in Soar/Achieve programs; some specialized camps have fees (for example, a $200/week therapeutic-coaching camp) and limited enrollment.
Board members asked about staff capacity for specialized programs and long-term funding. Mr. Hancock asked whether the district has enough special education staff for the specialized camps; staff said applications and staffing plans indicate sufficient supervision and that many special educators choose to work summer programs. Board members also discussed funding history: staff explained many programs were free while ESSER funds were available and that the board and county commissioners have since chosen to fund summer offerings to preserve access.
Staff said they are working to improve enrollment from last year—s under-enrolled Summer Boost sites through targeted outreach and by offering complementary options (before/after care through partners, regional camps) to make attendance practical for working families. Registration links for some day camps are already on the district website.
The Board did not take votes on program changes; staff requested continued board support during budget deliberations to sustain summer options that require local funding once federal relief grants expire.
