By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
School will not be out this summer for some Bowling Green City School students.
With the expectation that students will have some catching up to do at the end of this school year, the district is planning to offer summer school for a limited number of students.
Parents have been voicing their concerns for the past year that students need to be in the classrooms learning. Up until Feb. 22, Bowling Green City Schools was the only district in the county to not offer in-person classes.
Since returning under a hybrid model, students now have in-person classes two days a week. The school board voted March 9 to start back to full-time classes on March 29 – but then reversed that decision this past Tuesday evening.
That reversal pleased some parents worried about the safety of their children in school, and angered other parents who already fear their children are falling so far behind. At Tuesday’s meeting, one mother predicted that when school begins again in the fall that teachers will have to cover last year’s lessons first.
Because the district is aware that some students are struggling, a summer school program is being planned. On Tuesday evening, Angie Schaal, executive director of teaching and learning for the district, explained how it would work.
The summer school, called “Bobcat Boost,” would focus on recovery, reading, math and social-emotional needs.
The kindergarten through fifth grade students will meet at Crim Elementary School Tuesdays through Fridays, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for a three-week period from June 22 to July 9.
Transportation and lunch will be provided, and there will be no cost to families, Schaal said.
An estimated 72 students – or approximately 12 per grade level – will be allowed to participate, she said. Children will be selected by assessment data and teacher input.
Summer school for students in grades 6 through 12 will be open to anywhere from 120 to 200 students. Those classes will be held in the middle school, Tuesdays through Fridays, from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Middle school students will meet the three weeks of June 21 to July 9, while high schoolers will have one extra week through July 16. The summer school will be free to those selected.
Grant funding may be available to help cover expenses of the summer school, which is expected to cost $85,435.
The goal is to try to close the gap for students who have struggled with remote learning.
“What we want to do is target the kids most at risk,” Schaal said.
The summer program will also focus on emotional support for students.
“We definitely think the social-emotional aspect is very important for our kids,” she said.
Some parents at Tuesday’s meeting predicted there would be far greater need than the “Bobcat Boost” program can provide.
Superintendent Francis Scruci said an anonymous member of the community has pledged to donate $25,000 to help offset the costs of the summer school. He offered his thanks to supportive community members.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of the pandemic,” Scruci said. “We are still committed on staying focused on the kids.”
