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Youngstown summer school surges
By Denise Dick
Youngstown
About twice as many city school students enrolled in the district’s summer school than last year.
“I hope it’s because more kids are taking school more seriously,” said Stephen Stohla, interim superintendent. “I can’t give you an answer. Hopefully, we’re reaching more kids.”
About 400 students are attending the first session, which started June 6 and runs through July 1. A second session runs July 11 to Aug. 5 to accommodate more. Students still are registering for the second session.
Lunch and transportation is provided by the district, said Timothy Filipovich, executive director of teaching and learning.
He attributed the increase in students to several factors.
“Last year, it was six weeks long and this year, it’s four weeks,” he said.
Last year, attendance began to drop off toward the end.
Transportation is available this year for all students, Filipovich said. Last year, it was limited to earlier grades.
“Last year, we had it at one location, [William Holmes] McGuffey” Elementary School, he said. “This year, based on what we’ve heard from parents, particularly parents of children in kindergarten, first and second, they didn’t want their children traveling across town.”
Younger summer-school students are split between McGuffey and Harding elementary schools for pre-kindergarten through sixth-graders.
Martin Luther King Elementary School also is providing summer school.
Seventh- and eighth-graders are housed at the Chaney Campus for summer school and Choffin Career and Technical Center is used for high-schoolers taking credit recovery.
“Third grade is the highest because of the third-grade reading guarantee,” Filipovich said.
The guarantee requires third-graders to score at least proficient on the state reading test to be promoted to fourth grade.
Through summer-school intervention, those students receive additional help and another opportunity to take the assessment.
Middle-school students comprise the lowest numbers for summer school enrollment.
Students suggested by guidance counselors are provided to Filipovich’s office and students are recruited for the sessions.
The effort begins with a phone call to a child’s parent/guardian, telling them to watch for a letter from the district about summer school.
This year, the district teamed with the Youngstown After-School Alliance to ensure they weren’t competing for the same students.
That enables students to focus on academics in the morning and enrichment in the afternoon. Filipovich believes the whole-day programming may also contribute to the higher enrollment number.
Next week, the elementary students will participate in Camp Invention, a program by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The effort is funded by a 21st Century Grant, Camp Invention and federal Title I dollars. Title I focuses on economically disadvantaged students.
The district scheduled a second summer session because it had to cut off the numbers because of staffing limits. Some of those students who didn’t make in the first sessions are registered for the second.
“We’re recruiting now for the next session,” the executive director of teaching and learning said.
July 1 is the registration deadline for the session that starts July 11.