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RPS details Summer Academy 2026: smaller scale than pandemic years, new internship pathway and targeted funding
Summary
District staff told the board Summer Academy programming shifted after COVID relief funds ended: class sizes increased, the district braided Title I/III and targeted services funding, set aside $125,000 for transportation, and launched a 24‑intern Grow‑Your‑Own program to recruit future teachers.
Superintendent Kent Pickell introduced an update on Summer Academy 2026 and invited operations and programming staff to present outcomes and lessons learned after pandemic‑era federal funding ended.
Sierra Lynn Forrest, who identified herself as K–12 summer programming coordinator, said Summer of Discovery previously used COVID relief and targeted services dollars to provide small class sizes, field trips and robust wraparound supports. "What shifted?" she asked and then summarized changes: class sizes rose to about 1:20; staff supports were reduced to a site lead, a classroom teacher and student interns; transportation retained a $125,000 set‑aside to provide rides for K–8 students; and the district braided Title I and Title III funds with targeted services to sustain programming.
The presentation highlighted community partnerships — Winona State for STEM labs, Mayo Clinic for health‑career exposures ("phlebotomy, ultrasound"), and CTEK for career exploration — and described a grant‑funded Grow‑Your‑Own student internship that placed 24 high‑school interns, "one in each classroom," to support small‑group instruction and build pathway interest in teaching. Intern Malachi Johnson, a 2nd‑grade teacher and mentor, said the interns "were in the classrooms hands on, building relationships with kids" and that many students reported the experience influenced their career thinking.
Staff reported preliminary 2025 outcome indicators used to assess impact: "98 percent of our students maintained or decreased their risk level," staff said using FastBridge as the measure; 66 percent of grades 3–8 maintained or decreased risk in literacy; math measures varied by grade band. Presenters also reported enrollment declines compared with earlier Summer of Discovery years: whereas elementary enrollment had been over 1,000 in the earlier model, Summer Academy served 371 elementary students across three sites, 101 middle school students at one site, and 414 high‑school students for credit recovery.
Board members pressed on participation rates and outreach. Director Whitehorse asked, "So are we only servicing about 0.5 the kids that are eligible?" Staff acknowledged the qualifying criteria changed (targeted services require academic need) and that invitations are sent but attendance depends on family sign‑up; they committed to sharing referral/registration comparisons to allow more apples‑to‑apples review.
At the close of the item, staff said they will continue collecting longitudinal data comparing similar risk‑band students who attended versus those who did not and will return with refined measures and recommended adjustments to grow enrollment and better match staffing to need.
