Summer school in Great Bend is in full swing for students who have finished kindergarten through fifth grade. There were roughly 330 students that participated in summer school last year and in 2017 there are approximately 393.
USD 428 Assistant Superintendent John Popp says the increase in numbers comes as no surprise based on how well the program keeps students interested.
John Popp Audio
Summer school is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The district offers breakfast and lunch for the students and weekly field trips. Summer school in Great Bend is based on need, meaning students that received learning interventions throughout the regular school year were the ones invited to participate in summer school.
Kansas Reading Roadmap provides districts with after-school programs for K-3 students. KRR also provides grant money to Great Bend to fully fund the summer school program for K-3 students while the district takes on the cost for fourth and fifth graders.
This is the second straight year of summer school hosted by USD 428. The district removed the program in 2015 because of effectiveness questions and expense, but decided to bring it back last year with the help of the KRR grant.