Summer School Cancelled for Region 8 City (MO)

June 3, 2010

Budget shortfalls in Missouri and school funding cuts mean less class time for hundreds of Region 8 students.  Normally during the summer, the Kennett School District would have a full schedule.

Students who would normally be in school for the summer will not be coming to class.  Superintendent Jerry Noble said usually reimbursement for summer school is stand ard but with funding in question they decided to cancel almost every program.

"With all the funding cuts we can’t afford to take the hit on that," said Noble.

"I’m pleased that we’re at least getting to have what we’re having now which is "credit recovery" for kids who actually have to have summer school to progress to the next level," said teacher Vickie Ratliff.

They didn’t find out until May if the state would reimburse schools.  Now they are having very limited summer school down from 1,000 students to about 40.

"This is the bare essential.  This is necessary for these guys because these are kids that actually need the credit recovery.  They actually need the credits to go on we have to do this for these guys," said Ratliff.

Previously summer school was big for Missouri schools.  They were required to offer the programs and have a certain percentage of their student body attend that’s why Noble said they paid students to attend!

Now not only will students not get paid to come to summer school, many teachers won’t be able to teach it!

"We had a lot of teachers who were working in the summer time for three to four weeks how ever long the term was," said Noble.

Noble said about thirty teachers who now won’t have the extra income.   He is concerned about funding for the regular school term.

"It’s kind of bothersome with a shortfall of funding that we’re still having summer school.  Now it’s going to create an issue of expens e with the education budget," said Noble.

The school has cut $700,000 from their budget for the 2010-2011 school year.  They have eliminated a lot of programs and extra activities for next year.  They’ve cut fall softball, two seasons of soccer, and boy’s tennis.