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Update coming Tuesday on Janesville's summer school program

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Nick Crow
October 12, 2014

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ON THE AGENDA


The Janesville School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Educational Services Center, 527 S. Franklin St.


Agenda items include:


— Consider adding one teaching position at Harrison Elementary, two four-hour aide positions at Lincoln Elementary and three disability support staff positions.


—Presentation of student count numbers by Yolanda Cargile, director of student services.


— Review and passage of the initial draft of the 2014-15 operating budget.


The board also may meet in closed session to receive an update from legal counsel with respect to a former employee.

JANESVILLE--Summer school will be the topic when the Janesville School Board meets Tuesday night.

Paul Stengel, summer school director for the district, will present findings to the board, including:

— A rise in overall enrollment of 1.51 percent from 2013 to 2014. In 2013, total enrollment was 3,214. In 2014, enrollment was 3,263 students.

— A rise in full-time equivalent students by 15.53 percent between 2013 and 2014.

— A rise in high school students participating in summer school from 628 in 2013 to 788 in 2014.

— A drop in middle school students participating in the program from 542 in 2013 to 493 in 2014.

— A drop in elementary school students participating from 2,044 in 2013 to 1,982 in 2014.

"Summer school in the School District of Janesville continues to progress with each year to better meet the needs of all stakeholders," Stengel wrote in a memo to Superintendent Karen Schulte. "This summer we utilized all district buildings including 12 elementary, three middle, two high schools, TAGOS, Arise Virtual Academy and Rock River Charter School."

Summer school ran from June 16 to Aug. 15. Beginning summer school immediately after the regular school year garnered positive feedback, according to the memo.

"Summer school staffs believe that the students transition more easily from the school year to summer school since the students are already in a routine," Stengel said in the memo. "It provides little disruption to their daily schedules."

A four-week, 18-day schedule was used for elementary and middle school students. A three-week, 28-day schedule for high school students was offered twice. School officials reported positive attendance, an ease on staff and a continuation of learning, according to the memo.

Stengel will discuss new programs with the board, including "hands-on, enriching and educational" programming at several of the elementary schools in the district. These included programs that taught exploration in science, technology, engineering and math, according to the memo.

Middle schools offered mechanical, problem solving and design programs and also included science, technology, engineering and math within the curriculum, according to the memo.

At the high school level, the summer program focused on helping students recover needed credits, according to the memo. It also offered programs focused on agriculture and the outdoors.

"While each district site may present their summer school programming a little differently, our goal in the end always remains the same: to offer exceptional educational opportunities for our students and families," Stengel wrote in the memo. "Programming is rigorous and relevant to the needs of our district and established by our district leadership with the goal of making our students college and career ready when they graduate."



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