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A safety net shrinks Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Daniel Huddleston, 14, checks the temperature of an experiment during a summer class at Eagle Point High School. Thanks to a grant, Eagle Point is one of the few districts in Jackson County that can afford to offer summer school amid budget shortfalls and program cutbacks. With many districts canceling summer school, failing students have fewer ways to catch up By DAMIAN MANN School's out for the summer, but budget cutbacks are forcing summer school out of education. Half the districts in Jackson County - particularly smaller ones - don't have the funds to mount a standard high school summer program that often acts as a safety net for failing students. Central Point and Eagle Point were able to squeak by with a temporary boost from grants, but the districts worry they might not have enough money for future summer schools. Ashland is able to offer a high school summer program only because it charges its students a $50 fee. Medford and Eagle Point offer the most comprehensive summer programs. School officials agree that offering summer courses helps students who are failing or just need a little extra time to bone up on their studies. With almost every Jackson County high school posting scores below the state average on Oregon academic tests, the need for summer school seems even more apparent. But as schools stretch their dollars and cut teachers and programs, summer school is slipping in educational priorities. "We just don't have the resources to help provide for every kid who needs to make up credits," said Kirk Gibson, project coordinator for the Central Point School District. Gibson said his district was able to offer a limited summer school program only because of a small grant. But the temporary grant leaves summer school uncertain from year to year. And it forces the district to screen students to make sure it selects only those who are motivated to attend. Summer school used to be a six-week program, but many schools now offer four weeks or fewer of instruction. Some keep students in summer school just long enough to boost their skills in a certain academic area in order to make the best use of facilities and teachers' time. And still others, such as Ashland, have found alternative ways of providing it. "We haven't been able to afford a summer school for many years," said Ashland High School Principal Julie Reynolds. "We decided to charge the kids who need to make up the credits." As a result, about 40 students will need $50 to take the classes. "Otherwise we just couldn't afford it," said Reynolds. Ashland is aiming mostly for older students who are failing in a particular subject area to make sure they have enough credits to graduate. South Medford High School Principal Cynda Rickert said many of her failing students are also the ones with attendance problems. As a result, her school recommends these students attend summer school. "We make phone calls and say you need to be here," said Rickert. "You can invite them to come, but they won't always show up." Eagle Point received $200,000 from a grant that allows a comprehensive summer package offering everything from credit retrieval to creative writing and athletics. Eagle Point grant writer Samantha Steele said the program is especially needed because of the geographical isolation of Eagle Point and the need to improve the academic level of its students. Like other districts, Eagle Point won't mess around with students who don't show up. "Missing one day is significant," said Steele. "If there are any attendance or discipline problems, they are asked not to return." Steele said she has even received calls from parents in other districts. "One mother said, 'My son failed science at Phoenix. Can he come to your school?' " Unfortunately not, said Steele. The facilities are available for community members only. Students from Phoenix High School are being asked to go to Rogue Community College as a summer school option. Karen Lynch, principal at Crater High School in Central Point, said 27 students have been selected for summer school. Another 35 students will be going to Crossroads, an alternative school. Lynch said other students are going to RCC to take classes. "Essentially, we have three options," she said. Though she couldn't specify the exact number of students who are failing, Lynch said the school typically has about 200 students out of 1,500 who receive at least one F. Butte Falls Superintendent Clay Dunlap said his district can't afford summer school, though it plans a one-day-a-week program in July that will serve five students. "There's definitely a need for it," he said. "But we don't foresee it in the future." Rogue River, which has been hit hard by budget cuts for years, only offers a summer program to 15 special education students. Prospect also doesn't have the funds for summer school. Medford School District still uses money from its general fund to pay for summer classes, which will help almost 300 students struggling to get the credits needed to graduate. At-risk Supervisor Carolyn Hays said the district prioritizes the students so that those closer to graduation are the first to receive instruction while freshmen are further down the list. "We have a considerable waiting list," she said. To move students through the program quickly to make room for others, Hays said they only receive as much instruction as needed. "For some kids, it's a saving to have summer school so they can continue through high school." Eagle Point offers wide range of summer classes Eagle Point students and residents will be offered a feast of programs at the high school this summer. Through a new three-year, $600,000 grant, the district will offer summer school to 250 students as well as athletic facilities to community members. "It will save the cost of a health club," said Eagle Point High School grant writer Samantha Steele. Summer school classes will include science, auto maintenance, algebra, general equivalency diploma preparation, American studies, English as a second language and a computer lab. It also will give specific instruction in meeting the CIM (certificate of initial mastery) requirements in language arts. Daniel Huddleston, 14, is taking an integrated science class. "I failed," he said. If he didn't have summer school, he said he would be forced to retake the class next school year. Brianna Schauffler, 15, also failed and thinks she might not be able to graduate without the summer school program. "I think summer school is more fun than regular school. You get more one-on-one help," she says. Nathan Heading, 16, broke his arm after falling off a car and missed school for more than a month. As a result, he is taking a science and language arts class. If there were no summer school, he said, "I would be messed up." Eight courses have been set up for credit retrieval this summer, with about 20 students enrolled in each class. Thanks to the grant, which is designed to create extended learning options at Eagle Point, the school also will have movies, access to the library and work experience programs. It will offer driver's education courses for $50. This is the only class that requires a fee. Though the summer program offers free lunches Monday through Thursday, Steele said it cannot offer transportation for students. These programs are available only to students in the district and community members. For more information, call 830-6641. Some enroll at RCC For students who don't have summer school available in their community, there is an alternative: college. Rogue Community College has enrolled 182 students ages 14-18 from Jackson County this summer, and about 48 of these are part of the high school completion program, which costs $35 for each half credit. Two eight-week sessions (day and night) will be offered at the Fir Street Learning Center. These students are also taking a smattering of classes ranging from firefighting, chemistry and math to psychology, Spanish, English composition and typing. The driver training program is popular among high-school age students. For the summer term, 104 have signed up. RCC also offers a Summer Youth Program in cooperation with the Job Council that gives 14- to 20-year-olds the chance to take an eight-week basic skills program to work on mathematics, reading and computers. So far, 20 students have enrolled in the program. For more information, call RCC at 245-7500. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.