District 158 expands summer school program
More than 1,200 families in Huntley Unit District 158 will soon be getting letters from the district after the school board voted Thursday to expand the district's summer school program by hundreds of students.
The expansion places students who are not meeting expectations into summer courses that focus on improving reading skills.
"There's nothing we can do to help our students more than to improve elementary reading," Superintendent John Burkey said Thursday.
To this end, the summer elementary reading program will expand from fewer than 200 students last year to about 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
About 150 students in the district's English language learner program will attend a three-week program in the summer to keep their language skills fresh, an increase of about 100 over last year.
Some 86 incoming Huntley High School freshmen will attend a new summer "bridge" program, where they'll get to glimpse the expectations and curriculum they'll face as freshmen.
The district expects to spend about $110,000 of its own money to pay for summer school this year and expects to get about $85,000 in revenue from program fees.
To create an incentive for parents to enroll in the programs, the district has lowered the fee for the elementary reading and English language learner programs to $20. The "bridge" program will also cost $20. The fees include transportation.
Last year, the district charged $155 for the elementary reading program and $45 for the English language learner program, including transportation.
Parents of students who have been selected for the summer programs will receive letters after spring break.