News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The tentative Summer Learning Camp plan was approved by the Jackson County School Board Thursday night.
The schedule approved is June 1 through June 28, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Director of Schools Kristy Brown said the tentative plan will become finalized when enrollment numbers are confirmed.
“We have a survey that will be going out and then followed up with some enrollment forms, registration forms,” Brown said. “When we finalize those numbers we’ll be able to determine the definite location for the program, as well as the number of teachers and other staff.”
Brown said the registration forms and surveys will start going out to parents next week. She said Jackson County Middle School is the current location slotted to host the camp. Brown said in order to receive the full $65,000 allocated by the state there are guidelines to meet.
“The target number they gave us, that it’s basically funded on, our target number was about 152 kids,” Brown said. “The other part was prioritizing students that may be at risk, maybe need extra help academically. That number was about 43 percent, is what the state guidelines have given us to make sure those students have some priority in that program.”
Brown said the Summer Learning Camp will be supplemented with ESSER funding. She said this is necessary to make the program as effective as possible.
“We hope to supplement that some, make class sizes smaller and take care of the staffing needs that we may have at those schools,” Brown said. “Get maybe some more teachers in front of those kids.”
Brown said it is pending enrollment numbers, but her goal is to have one teacher for every 12 to 15 students. She said small class sizes are even more important when the purpose of the mandated Summer Learning Camp is to address learning gaps for students.
