Summer school programs still “up in the air” for local districts

With the school year coming to a close under distance learning, districts in southeast Iowa are deciding how to adapt summer school programs in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mt. Pleasant Community School District's summer reading program will be moving forward but with a few modifications.

Lincoln Elementary School principal, Lori LaFrenz, who has organized the program for the last five years, said the program, which usually starts in the middle of June, will instead start July 13 and conclude July 31.

For now, the invitation-only reading intensive program intends to serve K-2, but may include third-graders if slots become open. To limit potential spread and exposure, the program this year will limit group sizes to ten students. Last year, the program served 86 students, and aims to serve as many or even more this summer.

'We've also brought on additional teachers to help keep groups smaller than they usually are,” LaFrenz explained.

Other changes include teachers rotating between groups rather than having kids travel to different stations, as well as spending time educating the kids about sanitation practices.

'On the first day, we're going to do some good hygiene training on washing hands, practicing, not touching their faces - all the things the Governor encourages them to do - at a K-2 level,” LaFrenz added. The principal also said the teachers will plan to wipe down surfaces at least once a day, midway through, as well as lessen the sharing of materials like pencils and crayons. Students will not be required to wear a mask but can do so if parents want to send their children to the program with one.

'We're going to use the mitigation efforts that were suggested by the Department of Education. We may get different guidance by July,” LaFrenz added.

As for the district's summer supports for high school students, MPCHS principal Todd Liechty explained the supports are usually on a case-by-case and individual basis. The school hires two teachers to help students finish work or complete credits for two to three hours, several days a week. Usually the program serves about 30 students throughout the summer and runs the week after school ends to the end of July.

'We're not having it right now. We're looking at what the guidelines are to have an August start to try to get kids who need a head start on school,” Liechty explained.

Liechty added the school and district still is in the 'infancy” phase of planning the program and does not currently have concrete plans as of yet.

Students in the Washington Community School District do not currently have a summer school to attend. Superintendent Willie Stone said the plans are still 'up in the air” as the district looks at several options.

The first would be to purchase programming using state funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to purchase programming. Another option could be looking at tutoring students in the fall instead of a summer school. With the 2020 school year cut short, staff cannot adequately assess the needs of students, he said.

'Right now we really don't know who needs what because we haven't been able to assess where they're at,” he said.

The district was awarded $250,000 and some of the money could potentially go to summer school efforts, he said. If not, the funds will go toward tutoring in the fall.

Instead of canceling summer school, Stone said administration still is working on a solution because they feel it is what is best for the student body.

'We really feel it's important to give parents options and we're trying to do what's best for students,” he said.

The high school credit recovery program, its version of summer school, is underway, he said and is completely virtual. Summer school for pre-K through middle school continues to be a work in progress.