Summer school will return to Sikeston R-6

SIKESTON — Summer school will return after a 13-year absence in the Sikeston R-6 School District.

Superintendent Dr. Tony Robinson make the recommendation for the district to offer a summer school program during Tuesday’s regular Board of Education meeting at the high school cafeteria.

“We are wanting to start summer school. It’s been 2008 since the last summer school occurred in this school district,” Robinson told the Board prior to their approval of the program.

The four-week summer school will be offered from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday, July 12-Aug. 5. There will be four different sites for the following age groups: prekindergarten and kindergarten; first through fourth grades; fifth through eighth grades; and high school.

“We look at this as an opportunity definitely for remediation — to address English language arts and math needs — but it’s also an enrichment opportunity for our students who want to work on some things as well as high school students who want to take some additional courses that are non-remediation,” Robinson said.

The district will offset the cost of summer school because ESSER, or Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, funds requires school districts put money toward remediation, Robinson said.

“This (summer school program) will go toward remediation although we’ll be able to pay a portion of it with our average daily attendance and the number of students who attend on a regular basis,” the superintendent said.

When asked by the Board if the district would reach out to students about the program, Robinson said it would.

“Any student who struggled or is behind, we want to get them and use this as an opportunity to get them back on grade level as far as reading and math,” he said.

Board member Rebecca Steward said the district re-implementing a summer school program has been a long time coming.

“Many are needing this in our community,” Steward said. “I’m glad we have the opportunity to use some of this CARES Act money to work with remediation and the goal of what our district has been doing. Dr. Robinson and our fellow administration are trying to find a way to get to those children who need the help and give them the attention they need — not only during the school year or on extra days of the week or Saturdays but through this summer school. I’m glad to see it’s being presented. It’s much needed and long overdue.”