The Geary USD 475 Board of Education this week approved a plan that should increase the number of students in summer school in the district. The number could go up from 165 at the elementary school level last year to 400 at that level this year.

The Director of Innovation and Technology for the school district, Greg Lumb, explained the model utilized the last three years concentrated summer school at two locations, one in Junction City and one at Fort Riley. Students were bused to those sites and that limited the number of students that could be sent from individual schools.

In 2019 the district will have summer school at every one of the 14 elementary school locations. Lumb said there are advantages for students attending their home school in the summer. That can increase the number of students who have the opportunity to participate. “By sending students to their home school you are sending them to teachers who already know where they’re at as a learner. I think you increase the parents comfort level of knowing hey my child is going to the school that they’ve been attending all year long. So you immediately have a sense of where they’re at as a learner.”

Lumb said technology that has already been set up can be utilized as well, and data from what the students accomplished can be immediately available at their home school.

The summer school day this year for students will last for two hours, which is down from three hours in the past.  A total of 31 teachers will be involved.