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Northern Lehigh reports summer-program gains as ESSER funds cover staffing and transportation
Summary
Northern Lehigh School District told its board that ESSER-funded summer programs produced measurable reading and math gains for participants, while the district continued ESSER spending on staff, hotspots, transportation and supplies.
Northern Lehigh School District administrators presented summer-program results and an ESSER spending update, saying the district used federal pandemic-relief funds to staff programs, pay transportation and provide supplies that supported student learning gains.
At a board meeting, the ESSER grants presenter summarized continued ESSER expenditures on salaries and benefits for positions added under ESSER, monthly hotspot fees and costs tied to summer programs, including staff pay and student transportation. The presenter said the ESSER-funded summer work was partially winding down as some programs shift to state or other grant funding.
The district's summer data presentation, delivered by a district presenter identified in the transcript as Mr P, framed the work as a response to pandemic-era "summer slide." The presenter cited commonly used research estimates for summer learning loss (roughly 20%–30% of academic gains lost over summer) and offered a local cost perspective, estimating remediation at about $1,500 per student and noting that figure would translate to roughly $2.25 million for a district of Northern Lehigh's size.
Program-level outcomes highlighted in the presentation included: - Open Horizons: typically 70'75 students per year (one down year near 45); across years 76% of participating students made reading gains and 71% made math gains during the summer. - Inspire (middle-level thematic program led by Dr. Manny Gonzalez): a smaller program that served about 30 students across three years and emphasized cross-curricular literacy and inquiry. - STEAM Camp: funded through the Northern Lehigh Education Foundation and local donations, expanded to middle-school participation and focused on inquiry-driven, project-based learning. - SHINE: a state- and grant-supported program intended to provide sustained supports (meals, tutoring, transportation) over a student's school career; district described SHINE as complementary to summer programming. - KinderQuest: a three-day orientation pilot at Peters Elementary that enrolled 77 incoming kindergarteners and included parent outreach; survey respondents reported it reduced anxiety for students and families. - ESY (Extended School Year): special-education programming serving students who met eligibility; 44 students were eligible this year and 34 attended, with services including life skills and autism support.
The presentation also detailed staff professional development over the summer (new elementary ELA rollout, Canvas instructional design, AI-experimentation sessions led by Miss Dunham) and safety trainings (crisis prevention/de-escalation and Act 55 emergency drills led by Chief Jones). Administrators thanked teachers and support staff for delivering the programs.
Board members asked no substantive policy questions during the presentation; the administration said some summer programs will continue after ESSER funds expire because they have alternate funding or demonstrated value. The district said it will include the presentation in board minutes and share it with the public in an upcoming update.
