Norwalk subcommittee details July ESY schedule, services and family deadlines

At a May 5 meeting of the Norwalk School District Special Education Curriculum Subcommittee, district staff laid out the district’s Extended School Year (ESY) program for students with individualized education programs, saying services will run July 6 through July 31, 2026.

Dearra McKinnon, a district special-education staff member leading the presentation, said ESY provides "special education or related services ... when school or preschool programs are not in session" to prevent loss of skills. She said services commonly include math and reading interventions, speech and language, social skills instruction, counseling, occupational and physical therapy, and behavior supports.

McKinnon described the eligibility review that teams conduct annually in PPT/IEP meetings: whether a student shows regression over breaks, requires an extended period to recover lost skills, is at a critical stage for mastering life or independence skills, or has severe or multiple disabilities. "We don't have to check all the check boxes," she said, explaining that teams consider multiple factors rather than a single formula.

Staff outlined how the program will be organized by grade band. Preschool students will attend their assigned preschool sites (examples mentioned in the presentation include Foxrun). K–5 students recommended for ESY will attend the district summer academy at assigned elementary sites; middle-school ESY and specialized programs will be housed at Ponis; grades 9–11 ESY services and practical-skills programming will be at Brian McMahon High School. McKinnon said students who complete grade 12 but need transition services will join the district’s 18–22 transition program at the location noted in the transcript as "46 Conquered," where they will receive community-based instruction and vocational experience.

Daily schedules differ by program: elementary academy days typically include a short opening, a 90-minute reading block, a 40-minute math block, centers, lunch/recess and pull-out or push-in related services; middle-school programming adds SEL and life-skills blocks; high-school practical-skills students receive vocational training, mock interviews and independent-living instruction. Transition programming runs 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Monday–Thursday to allow time for community work and business schedules; students spend multiple hours each week in vocational placements or volunteering.

District staff also explained logistics and deadlines. Families were asked to inform the district by May 15 whether their child will attend ESY to help the district form class lists (early June), confirm busing (late May/early June) and finalize staffing and supplies. McKinnon said related services (for example, a student who only needs reading intervention) can be scheduled separately if a student does not attend the full-day program; those itinerant services are typically arranged with families and providers shortly before ESY begins.

Staff said teacher and safety trainings are scheduled for July 1, and that the district will finalize attendance, progress-monitoring systems and staffing by mid-June. Committee members praised the continuity and flexibility of the summer offerings and reminded the public about the district’s end-of-summer maritime showcase that displays student projects.

The subcommittee approved the prior meeting minutes at the start of the session and adjourned after the presentation. Chair Ashley Golius said the group will reconvene in the fall to review outcomes and summer implementation.