Schools in Missouri Could See Reductions in Summer School Funding

April 20, 2010

Erin Swanson’s sixth-grade daughter planned to take show choir this summer to gain an edge in next fall’s tryouts at her middle school in Blue Springs.

Swanson’s other daughter, a high school sophomore, planned to defer a summer job so she could take her little sister to morning practices while their mother works.

But with the Missouri legislature threatening to cut funding for summer school during a tight budget year, the family cannot solidify its summer plans as usual.

Meanwhile, the deadlines for other summer activities are fast approaching.

“There’s really nothing we can do, so we are in a waiting game,” Swanson said.

In Kansas, budget cutters have not specifically targeted summer classes, but Swanson’s situation is shared by many Missouri parents.

Last week the Missouri Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill that would reimburse districts only for core academic summer classes such as math, science, social studies and communication arts. Districts would have to find the money for physical education and show choir.

That’s only the latest wrinkle in a discussion that has been spinning around the Capitol in Jefferson City, where the legislature is trying to close a $500 million budget shortfall.

“We’re getting information on literally an hourly basis,” said Cathy Allie, spokeswoman for the Raytown School District, which decided Monday night to offer only core academic courses. If the legislature eventually decides to pull funding for core courses as well, then the district will offer summer school only at the high school level.

“The planning has been pretty intense and much more complicated than previous years.”

The Senate bill is expected to move to the House this week.

Rep. Maynard Wallace of Thornfield drafted a separate bill in the House. The summer school cuts in Wallace’s bill would be deeper, eliminating funding for all but 12 percent of students, only the ones who most need it.

Wallace was waiting to see the Senate bill this week before deciding whether to introduce his proposal.

Sen. Charlie Shields, a Republican from St. Joseph, introduced the Senate bill.

“This could very well be one of those bills that gets resolved in the last week (early May),” Shields said.

In contrast to Kansas, state funding is the main source of summer school revenue for most school districts in Missouri. For many, it’s their only reven ue.

The Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City is advocating in the legislature to save summer school, citing statistics that show children improve or at least maintain their academic scores if their break between grades is reduced.

Districts add that cutting summer school is especially hard on poor children who receive free and reduced-price lunches.

No one wants to cut summer school, Shields said, but superintendents have told him it’s better than the alternative.

“We want to keep summer school, but we understand there’s a shortfall,” said Blue Springs district spokeswoman Leslie Evans. “Given the choice of summer school or funding for next year, we might have to choose to put the funding into next year.”

Regardless of funding, virtually all districts are likely to continue credit-recovery and remedial courses that help the students who struggle most.

Center schools have cut out enrichment courses, as Raytown did Monday.

Beyond that, it’s iffy.

Some districts such as Independence, where half the students attend summer school, are making plans as usual until a final bill is approved. But Independence and Lee’s Summit said some classes could be canceled without state funding.

In Raytown, 60 percent of students attend summer classes.

North Kansas City is considering two options: collaborating with nearby districts and asking parents to pay for enrichment programs.

Working parents who rely on enrichment programs as reliable educational day care are most likely to be affected.

“When I was in school, summer school was for the kids that didn’t pass a class,” said Lorri Boydson, the working mother of a Blue Springs kindergartner.

But now she is disappointed that her son, who attended a class to prepare for kindergarten last year, may not get a similar experience this summer.

Colleen Freeman, chairwoman of the Kansas City District Advisory Committee and a working mother, understands the troubles that parents will face without summer school.

“Nobody is jumping up and down to spend all day with my 13-year-old,” Freeman said. “So if he’s out of school for nine weeks, the average cost for me minimally would be $100 a week.”

On the Kansas side
Summer school is less of a worry in Kansas. Most districts finance it with their general fund, made up of state, local and federal dollars.

Dale Dennis, deputy commissioner of education, said he knew of no effort in the Kansas Legislature to deny state funding of summer school.

In the Shawnee Mission, Olathe and Blue Valley districts, fees paid by parents pay most of the cost, Dennis said. Students who can’t afford that fee often receive scholarships provided by parent-teacher groups or foundations.

Budget constraints forced the Kansas City, Kan., district to drastically change its summer school program a year ago.