Leah Ingram Eagle
Over 1,700 students in Shelby County Schools have committed to attending summer school.
That number includes 768 students in grades K-3, around 250 in middle school and over 700 high school students. The students were chosen to be invited to come to summer school and there were more who were invited but unable to attend.
Dates for summer school will be June 6-17 and will take place at eight sites throughout the county.
“We are excited about another opportunity to be able to take a lot of students during the summer and spend some really focused time with them,” said Dr. Lynn Carroll, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction. The goal of summer school is to close the learning gaps.”
Grades K-8 will focus on standards, literacy skills and reading and math. High school students will focus on recovering any lost credits and classes the students may have failed. K-3 will focus on intervention for reading literacy while the middle school will focus both on math and English language arts (ELA).
“The elementaries will be doing a World Games theme,” Carroll said. “They're trying to make it fun for students, like a summer camp atmosphere. Middle and high school students will be going for a full day and we will be very intentional and purposeful in their literacy.”
Carroll said through the use of ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds, Shelby County is able to provide transportation for all students for all grades and also provide breakfast and lunch for all students.
Results from the ACAP test assessment showed that about 13 percent of students scored under the requirement, but Carroll said that was still above where we want to be but we are trying to get all of our students back up where they need to be.”
Small group stations will be implemented, as well as the use of instructional tools including i-Ready and IXL.
Carroll also added that they are trying to keep class sizes lower for summer school than during the school year.
During the superintendent's report, Dr. Lewis Brooks recognized the Shelby County Schools elementary and secondary first year teachers of the year: The elementary recipient was Lauren Vick, a 4th grade teacher at Wilsonville Elementary School. The secondary recipient was Rylee Holt, an English teacher at Montevallo High School.
In other business, the board:
- Approved of out of state field trips
- Approved a new assistant principal for Calera Middle School. Marcus Harris has over 12 years experience in education and is currently employed as a teacher in Hoover City Schools.
- Approved non-renewals
- Approved personnel actions
- Rejected a bid for for classroom additions at Calera High School
- Approved a bid for a boiler replacement project at Helena Elementary School.
- Acknowledged no bids were submitted for a new video board at Helena High School (a partnership project between the school and the board).
- Approved a bid for electronic fixture maintenance services
- Approved a bid for tree cutting services
- Acknowledged no bids were submitted for concrete services
During the architect and construction report, Barbara Snyder mentioned a variety of projects taking place at schools throughout the county, including the turf project at Chelsea High School, which is currently underway.
The next SCBOE meeting will be June 9 at noon at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center in Alabaster.
