WCSD will only offer summer school programs to small percentage of students
The Washoe County School District is cutting back its 2024 summer school programs after offering it for thousands of students since 2021 with the help of federal dollars.
The district funded the large-scale summer school programs for the last three years from $77 million in stimulus dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal program that in part was to help support elementary and secondary schools following the COVID-19 pandemic.
With stimulus funding dried up, the district said summer school will again be offered only to students with disabilities and students still learning English.
The district estimated it cost between $2 million and $3 million to run a four-week summer program for 15,000 students over the past few years.
Catching up on credits
High school classes will be offered to students who need credits to graduate, according to WCSD.
The district billed summer school in the wake of COVID as a way to catch up students who were below grade level.
Those issues continue.
According to 2022-23 data from the Nevada Department of Education, the majority of students in Washoe County are still below grade level.
Only 43% of district elementary students were proficient in English and only 40% were proficient in math.
Data also shows district high school students are dramatically credit deficient, with as many as 30% of juniors lacking enough credits to graduate. Students who are credit-deficient as seniors comprised 15%.
Of students who graduate and go on to college, the Nevada System of Higher Education said 40% of grads from Washoe County high schools need remedial courses before they are prepared for college curriculums.