The Department of Public Instruction says more students are attending summer school this year.
That’s in part because of a change in state law, for students in kindergarten through fourth grade.
"Prior to this Legislative session, children that were in grades K through 4 could only attend summer school if they were deemed as 'remedial,'" said DPI Director of the Office of School Approval ans Opportunity Joe Kolosky. "They removed that to open up summer school for all students that are from K to 4."
Kolosky said "remedial" is determined by such things as low test scores or low grades.
Students in grades 5 through 12 are allowed to attend summer school without having to be deemed as “remedial.”
Kolosky says 11,539 K-4 students are attending summer school this year, nearly doubling 2020. Enrollment in the other grades is also up. But he says in some areas of the state, summer school attendance has actually declined – and he says he thinks that’s because of COVID.
"Teachers are really exhausted from teaching a year, or a partial year, online or hybrid," Kolosky said. "The same teachers that teach during the school year may also teach summer school. That's not mandated. But some teachers have opted out of summer school to get a little break before the school year starts."
Senate Education Committee chairman Don Schiable (R-Mott) said in his area, a few schools have enhanced summer school, but others haven’t.
"They can't find instructors," Schiable said. "The year that the teachers went through — they're burned out, and weren't real excited about going in to summer school."
DPI said 5503 students in grades 5-8 are attending summer school this year. For grades 9-12, that number is 15,468. Two hundred 22 schools are offering summer school classes.
