Summer school students increasing

WAUPACA – Summer school attendance numbers increased this past summer, as the district continues to allow students not only credit recovery but enrichment opportunities as well.

Mark Flatten, Waupaca district administrator, said summer school also provides low-to-no cost childcare for families that include breakfast and lunch.

Jody Pankratz, Waupaca Learning Center principal, and Kyle Scherwinski, interim Waupaca High School principal, presented updates from last summer at the Oct. 13 meeting.

The total number of students that participated was 1,350, which is 257 more students from last summer, with 1,153 students that are residents and 197 that are not.

One notable feature of summer school is the ability to add to the enrollment taken the third Friday in September. Flatten said that for every 48,600 minutes of participation in summer school the district gets to count an additional .4 students in the first enrollment count of the year.

The first enrollment count is done on the third Friday of September; this number is the primary factor in the state’s allocation of aid.

Austin Moore, the director of business services, said non-resident students cannot be counted toward enrollment in September.

Moore said the number of non-resident students participating is growing, and a nominal fee for enrichment opportunities that could be passed onto the non-resident student is being assessed; however, the state has very specific rules as to how this is done.

Students are also fed both breakfast and lunch which added up to a total expense of just over $25,800 for the summer.

The district received reimbursements of $41,000 from the summer school food service program for meals served.

Moore said the above $41,000 allocation is based on summer meal participation.

The remaining revenue from the summer school food program will then be allocated to a food service fund balance to support overall district food service operations, Moore said.   

“There is a lot of time and energy that goes into capturing 62 more students through summer school, it doesn’t get taken lightly by anybody,” Flatten said. “There is a lot of good that goes into and comes out of summer school.”

Summer school has a couple class and enrichment options with babysitting and hunter’s safety classes, along with unique classes to intergenerational activities, where students visit Bethany and the Veteran’s Home at King.

Flatten said teachers infuse a variety of academic, social, emotional and fine motor skills into their summer school sessions.

The high school also had enrichment opportunities like FFA, Link Crew, weightlifting and various camps.

There were also 53 course offerings in English language arts, math, science, social studies, computer science and health where students could earn half a credit per class.

“We have a lot of staff that likes to share their passions as well as expertise,” Pankratz said.

Another important aspect is an opportunity for students to recover credits, which a total of 51 credits were recovered over the summer school session, as well as one senior graduating.

“We have a very good reputation for our summer school, it’s a lot of fun,” Pankratz said. “It gives kids something to do that is a little more structured, and it’s in the morning, that’s pretty helpful.”

Betty Manion, president of the school board, agreed.

“I think we are very blessed to have this summer school program in Waupaca, and it’s been going on for years and years and years,” Manion said.