Summer school improvements, higher fees planned in Dist. 203
Tuition increases and a new transportation fee are planned for summer school 2016 in Naperville Unit District 203, but so are new courses and improvements to the program, district officials say.
School board members are expected to vote during their next meeting Nov. 16 on recommendations for the next round of summer school courses, including the creation of a $25 fee for each student who signs up for transportation to a three-week summer school class.
Tuition increases that would bring prices to $170 per course at the elementary level, $170 to $340 for each junior high class, and $195 to $380 for each high school class were approved last year, district administrators said. The increases are expected to be charged as planned.
The transportation fee and increasing tuition help cover some of the cost of teaching and learning during the summer, said Kevin Wojtkiewicz, director of summer learning. But the district still stands to spend $124,826 more than it expects to take in on providing six weeks of summer education, according to a budget Wojtkiewicz prepared.
Board member Kristin Fitzgerald asked if the district could charge slightly more to come closer to covering costs. But board member Jackie Romberg said it's important to keep the programs affordable.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said educators are trying to strike a balance between recouping some expenses without creating barriers to summer learning. Students from economically disadvantaged families will not be charged the transportation fee as one effort to ensure they can attend if they want or need the extra help.
“This is an investment that we're making in the learning of our students and with that comes a cost,” Bridges said. “We view this as one of our most important strategies to address student learning for all.”
New summer school offerings planned for next year include updated math classes, two-hour daily classes for early childhood students at the Ann Reid Early Childhood Center, new courses in the Project Lead The Way engineering series, as well as programming and keyboarding.
One class, dynamic earth systems, will be removed from the course list, Wojtkiewicz said.
Proposed new math options include preparatory classes for junior high students planning to take honors math in the fall and a preparatory class for incoming ninth-graders planning to enroll in algebra.
“Algebra 1 is considered a gateway course and success there is considered a strong indicator of future college readiness,” Wojtkiewicz said.
For the district's youngest students, the two-hour early childhood classes will help them continue to make quick progress in their learning and social skills.
“This option is very effective in helping students to not lose any developmental ground over the summer,” Wojtkiewicz said.