By Alyssa McMillan
Schoolcraft school trustees discussed a successful summer school program at an August meeting, but were told the district must find new sources of cash to keep it going.
The seven-week program is open to qualifying children in kindergarten through 5th grade. Thanks to a partnership with the Dome, the program has become a unique opportunity for students to spend part of the day learning and growing academically and another part for the children to participate in summer camp activities with others not enrolled in the school part of the program.
One of the few summer school programs with a waiting list, Schoolcraft’s summer school program presents an opportunity for all eligible students—including those who would otherwise be unable to afford a summer camp experience.
For four years, the program has been paid for by money from relief dollars to the school through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the school had to use funds from the state to continue the program in the most recent year. It costs approximately $50,000 to cover costs of transportation, staff, snacks, and spots in summer camps for 25-35 students a week. The district intends to seek new grants or build another section into its budget to keep the summer school program, which is said to have gone “very well” by the program’s lead teacher, Amy Desmond.
Also at the school board meeting, members of the board agreed to allow Schoolcraft ‘s teachers to partner with other nearby districts – Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Mattawan, Parchment and Gull Lake – to form a healthcare consortium. The larger group will provide better rates for the districts.
The meeting ended with words of optimism for new hires and heartfelt farewells for Schoolcraft’s outgoing finance director, Kendra Drewyor.
