The Bloomberg administration is dramatically reducing the size of the city’s summer-school session by inviting fewer students who will attend classes at fewer sites.
The estimated summer-school budget will be $69 million – a drop of $24 million, or 26 percent from last year.
The Department of Education projects that 195,000 students in grades 2 to 12 will be asked to enroll in summer school, down from 254,000 last year. That’s a drop of 23 percent.
How many show up is another story; last year, only 176,920 completed the program. Attendance, particularly among high-school students, was dreadful.
Chancellor Joel Klein said he wants to run a more efficient and focused program aimed at struggling students – particularly third-graders, who face a tougher promotional policy based on high-stakes reading and math exams.
There will be fewer “enrichment” programs for kids who are doing well.
The summer-school program will hold classes at 550 sites this year, one-third fewer than the 809 buildings used last year.
(p. 19 in metro)