Published: June 12, 2008 09:43 pm      

Summer schools shorter, fewer classes

Summer school this year is limited to kids who really have to have the time, according to local school officials.

“It used to be schools had the money to run summer school, but what happened is that money has lots of restrictions on it,” explained Paula McNeel, Mildred Elementary principal. “We used to have kids pay to go to Corsicana. People just can’t do that anymore.”

Mildred Elementary has some students this summer in third and fifth grade, who have to pass the TAKS in order to be promoted to the next grade, as does Kerens and Frost, but only for short, intense bursts of instruction before the tests.

“That’s our first priority, are the kids who are retaking the TAKS,” McNeel said.

Mildred Elementary has about 20 students this summer, McNeel said, while Rice Elementary and Junior High have 17 summer students.

“It’s almost by invitation only,” said Robert Allen, principal at Rice Junior High. “A lot of ours is trying to continue or pick-up areas we felt they needed a little extra work in, trying to get ahead of the game.”

At Frost Elementary, the handful of fifth graders who didn’t pass the TAKS will get about a week of extra work, and then they have to retake the test and pass if they want to go into sixth grade next year, explained Becky Melton, Frost Elementary Principal. That will be the only instruction offered in that district this summer.

“We just felt like it wasn’t necessary this year,” Melton said. “We didn’t have any (other children) this year that needed to pass for promotion, and we didn’t have any who needed it for attendance.”

In the past, Frost has had summer school for elementary school kids who were behind or who needed to make up days missed, but not this year, said Superintendent Jim Revill.

“I’m not sure that’s a message we want to continue to send,” Revill said. “They’ll have to make up attendance some other way.”

Having just the TAKS instruction makes it more focused, he said.

“I’d rather spend our time with those who absolutely need it,” Revill said. “I just felt like it wasn’t cost effective to do what we’ve been doing.”

Cutting out the weeks of extra summer school will save Frost about $3,000 in salary and fuel costs, Revill said.

The county’s largest school district, Corsicana, will also limit summer school offerings this year to “need only” students, according to Rob Ludwig, district spokesman.

“We don't have courses this year for students seeking extra credits,” Ludwig said.

Classes for 79 high school kids began this week, along with classes at Travis for Limited English Proficiency students. The rest of the summer schools, at elementary schools and Collins Middle School, will start Monday.

Including the elementary schools, Collins Middle School and the high school, CISD should have just under 600 students taking some sort of instruction this summer, Ludwig said.

The state doesn’t require school districts to do anything but the TAKS remediation during the summer, said DeEtta Culbertson, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency.

“Summer school is an entirely local option,” she said. Some districts offer just the TAKS instruction, while others will combine to offer one program for many districts, she explained.

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com