SUMMER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION FOR CAPE

Students Monday were back to school in Cape Girardeau -- back to summer school that is.

For the first time in 14 years, the Cape Girardeau School District is offering summer classes for students. Most are remedial classes to help students make up credit, catch up with classmates or keep from falling behind over the summer.

If the project is successful, the district will consider expanding summer school next year.

Summer school became economically feasible this year because of the Outstanding Schools Act, also known as Senate Bill 380. Schools offering summer school get twice the state funding for students that they would receive during the regular school year. Cape Girardeau is also offering a federally funded summer school for elementary students.

Dr. Richard Bollwerk, director of curriculum and instruction, said summer school should be a break-even proposition.

Central Junior High Principal Gerald Richards said: "Our goal is to not go in the hole. We're paid on a per-student basis, so we made sure we have sufficient enrollment to break even."

Richards said parents have been pleased with the revival of summer school. "The parents I visited with see this as a very positive activity for children this summer."

At Central High School 140 students have enrolled. Of 10 classes, nine are remedial for students who need to make up a failed class credit. The school also is offering keyboarding as an elective for 15 students who wanted to learn the computer skill.

The class size will average 14 students to one teacher.

Jerry Witvoet, high-school counselor, said students from Jackson, Oak Ridge, Chaffee and Perryville have enrolled for Central's summer school. Another change in the law allows students from neighboring schools to enroll without paying tuition fees. Cape Girardeau can count enrolled Missouri students for state funds.

At the elementary level, summer school classes are federally funded through Chapter 1. Students were accepted from four Cape Girardeau elementary schools that qualify for Chapter 1 funds: Franklin, Washington, May Greene and Jefferson.

The federal government pays for the program and sets specific guidelines. For example, the student-to-teacher ratio can't be higher than 10 to 1.

Students were eligible for the program based on state test scores. The summer course emphasizes reading and math skills.

Science and math camps are being held at Franklin this summer also. The programs are funded entirely through registration fees.

Summer school for seventh- and eighth-graders starts Monday at the junior high school. Approximately 35 students have been identified as needing remedial courses during the summer to be successful next fall, Richards said.

It was 14 years ago that the last summer school was held for Cape Girardeau elementary students.

Students will attend three hours a day and will study English, mathematics and reading. Class size will average 12 students per teacher.

The last time summer school was offered at the junior-high level was in 1991. After that, state funds were inadequate to offer a summer program.

Bollwerk thinks summer school will be expanded next year. But a problem is limited air-conditioned classrooms in the school district.