Carpentersville-based School District 300 may expand its summer school program for elementary school pupils who perform below the state standard for reading.
But the district also has proposed scaling back summer courses at its three high schools and canceling a summer program for middle school pupils for at least a year.
The changes, proposed by Supt. Kenneth Arndt during Monday’s school board meeting, would have to be approved by the board in April.
The elementary school summer program for reading may grow because the state aid used to finance it is not being cut, district administrator Chuck Bumbales told the board.
The State Board of Education would finance up to $500 per pupil for summer school, or $175,000 for 350 pupils. That would cover about 80 percent of the cost of the program, which would be held at Westfield School in Algonquin and Perry School in Carpentersville.
This summer the program would be expanded to 3 1/2 hours a day for 27 days. Bumbales said last year there were 18 days of instruction.
But summer courses for high school students would be limited to language arts for those who need the class to graduate. Social studies and math classes would be discontinued, Bumbales said.
Only 88 middle school pupils completed the summer program last year, Bumbales said. So the District 300 administration is proposing the program be dropped for one year.
“It’s a shame we’re not addressing the needs of middle school,” board member John Court said.
