NEW AID LAW ENCOURAGES SUMMER SCHOOL; DISTRICTS TO GET FINANCIAL BOOST FOR ADDED PROGRAMS

Missouri's new school-funding law provides a financial boost for school districts to offer summer school.

Cape Girardeau Superintendent of Schools Neyland Clark said his team will be looking at those funds to see whether summer school might be reinstated and even expanded here.

"It is double your money, double you fun," Clark said.

The new formula allows school districts to count twice students enrolled in summer school when applying for state funds.

Two years ago Cape Girardeau cut its summer school program as part of a $1.2 million budget reduction package. Cape Girardeau had been one of the few schools in Southeast Missouri to offer summer school for remedial study.

Clark, an advocate of summer school, hopes if new money becomes available summer school will be back.

"There are components in the bill that provide a stimulus to summer schools," Clark said.

The new school-funding package also includes money to help students at risk of failing or dropping out of school. Summer school gives youngsters a second chance to succeed in subject areas.

"We are looking at reinstating summer school, not so much from a financial standpoint but as a programmatic response," said Clark.

"I have always been a very strong advocate of summer school. It's a great opportunity to provide remediation and also for enrichment for those kids who have done well."

Clark envisions a summer school program that is more like summer camp.

"It would be a blend of typical summertime camp activities with school academic types of things. We have lots of basketball, soccer, football, gymnastic camps already," he said.

"I think parents would be very interested in a blend of physical development and academic development."

Students, for example, might attend basketball camp in the morning and French or Spanish camp in the afternoon through a summer school program.

This week academic math and science camps have been held at Franklin Elementary School. Although the programs are not funded by the district, Clark said they represent an example of his summer school concept.

However, he cautioned, no new programs have been planned. The district is still waiting to learn specifically what financial impact the new funding formula will have for Cape Girardeau.

Other states reward schools for offering summer programs. "In Indiana," Clark said, "for every dollar I spent on summer school I got 95 cents back."