USD 408 will offer summer school years ago
Weighing the needs of students against the need to cut the budget, the Marion-Florence USD 408 Board of Education allowed the continuation of summer school by approving the budgeted amount of $29,180.37.
Curriculum director Missy Stubenhofer said that amount was approximately $500 more than last year's budgeted amount of $28,651.01.
Programs to be offered include K-8 summer school, English and math at the high school level, PALS (an in-depth phonics system used at the elementary level), and special education which will be funded by the co-op.
K-8 summer school will be offered in the morning between 8:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.
Stubenhofer said students who attend summer school are referred. Although not all students referred attend, those who do see improvement during the regular school year. Those who are referred who don't attend "typically end up struggling by middle school," she said.
"If we quit offering summer school, we'd be adding to those who need it and do come to those who need it and don't come," Stubenhofer said, indicating more children would have trouble succeeding in school.
Board member Kathy Meierhoff questioned how Stubenhofer was able to recommend hiring the teachers without knowing how many children will participate.
Stubenhofer said typically 90 to 100 children attend the summer session, and last year she had to add a teacher at the last minute when one session had 14 or 15 fifth graders.
"Ideally we have five kids to a session, but we've been running eight or nine," Stubenhofer said. Each student comes to school with their own objective sheet so teachers work with each individual student, rather than the entire class.
At the high school level, the classes are more outcome-based. Once a student achieves mastery, they move on to the next outcome, she said.
Henderson said district officials know students who attend summer school end up being successful in school, however, the numbers had never been tracked. Henderson said he had directed Stubenhofer to begin tracking that success rate.
During the vote, board member Keith Collett left the room due to a conflict of interest. His wife, Anne, was one of the individuals to be employed during the summer session.
Summer school employees are Stubenhofer, supervisor; Michelle Adkins, first-second grade teacher; Sheila Baldwin, first-second grade teacher; Shannon Britt, first-second grade teacher.
Julie Trapp, third-fourth grade teacher; Beth Schobert, third-fourth grade teacher; Ginger Becker, third-fourth grade teacher; Laura Baldwin, fifth-sixth grade teacher.
Charlene Metcalf, seventh-eighth grade teacher; Lana Fahey, part-time teacher; Lori Kirkpatrick, kindergarten teacher aide; Anne Collett and Laurie Secrest, Title I aides with PALS; and a teaching slot for fifth and sixth grade which has not yet been filled.
At the high school, Janet Killough, part-time English, and Susan Reid, part-time math.
