THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008
Dist. 59 OKs Summer School Plan, Mulls Ridge Fees
School board members of Elk Grove Township Elementary Dist. 59 last week approved their 2008 Summer School Plan and discussed the 2008-09 fees for inter-session and extended day programming at Ridge Family Center For Learning in Elk Grove Village.
As the Ridge Family Center for Learning operates on a unique school calendar, two programs, Wednesday Extended Day program and Inter-Session, are offered to elementary students as an option on a fee basis only. The fees are intended to cover the direct operating costs of the programming.
The tentative 2008-09 Ridge school calendar provides for Wednesday afternoons to be designated for professional development/ planning activities.
Student dismissal time is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Rather than choosing the early dismissal, parents may enroll their elementary student in an extended day program that would run until 3 p.m.
The tentative 2008-09 Ridge balanced calendar also provides for three inter-sessions. The first one would span eight days from Oct. 20-31; the second one would be from Jan. 5-9, 2009; and the third would be from Mar. 30-Apr. 3, 2009.
According to school officials, Inter-sessions extend and refine the academic learning of students aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards.
The October session would cost $112; the January 2009 and March 2009 sessions will cost parents $70 each. Additionally, the Wednesday Extended Day Program for the entire year would cost $190.
The 2008-09 fees are expected to be voted on at the next Board of Education meeting on Monday, Mar. 9.
Board members also approved the 2008 summer school program including scheduling and fees.
The summer school program will retain a 16-day format similar to the 2007 program and a Special Education Preschool Extended School Year Program during the month of August.
Some of the aspects of the program include:
* Staff salaries will be increased by 3.25% per the negotiated agreement. Summer School administrators' salaries will also increase by 3.25%.
* Class sizes will be maximized. Pre-Kindergarten classes will be targeted at 15 students, basic classes at 15 students, and enrichment classes at 20 students.
* The regular 16-day summer program will run for three hours each day with summer school dates to be Wednesday, June 11 through Friday, June 13; Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20; Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27 and Monday, June 30 through Wednesday, July 2.
* The summer school day will be three hours of instructional time. Junior High sites will be from 8:15 to 11:15 a.m. and elementary sites will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Students in grades 4-7 will begin 15 minutes earlier to accommodate transportation.
* The sites used for summer school are determined through discussions with the Buildings and Grounds Dept. At this time, the district would utilize Forest View and Holmes Jr. High on the north side and Rupley and Grove Jr. High on the south side for this summer.
* The student fee will remain $120 per student. The $10 discount for multiple family members attending summer school will remain. Students currently participating in free and reduced lunch program fee will remain at $60 and $50 for multiple family members.
* Title 1 students will be offered remedial classes in summer school at no cost to the family.
* A mandatory half-day staff development program for all summer school staff will also be conducted.
School Dist. 59 serves residents in Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, and Mt. Prospect.