Green Holly may lose Jump Start

Summer classes may be cut as funding falls short

Friday, May 22, 2009

Known as Jump Start, the program has served about 100 students at each of three Title I schools — George Washington Carver, Lexington Park and Green Holly. Title I schools serve communities with a high number of low-income students and receive federal funding. The program will not be at Green Holly this summer and the future of the program after this summer is unknown as federal dollars dwindle.

Martirano did not return a phone call by press time Thursday.

Jump Start has been offered at a few St. Mary's schools for the past five years to help students who struggle academically move up or at least stay on reading and math levels between school years. With a student-to-teacher ratio of about 10-to-1, that task is more easily accomplished than during the normal school year, educators said in previous years.

Transportation is provided to students and breakfasts and lunches are served each day.

"This summer program will continue, albeit it in a different configuration," Linda Dudderar, chief academic officer, said Thursday.

The federal dollars used to fund the program "are diminishing," while the costs to pay teachers who staff the program have gone up, Dudderar said. As for next year, she expects "a great deal less than this year."

The program cost about $270,000 last summer; money that went to teacher and paraeducator pay, transportation, food and other costs.

It is too early to know whether there would be enough money to continue the program next summer, Dudderar said.

"I'm against it," school board member Marilyn Crosby said of cutting the program. "I've been reading in the paper [over the last several years] great accolades about this program."

Teachers in the program said in previous years that before there was an 11th-month program some children would fall behind a grade level or more over the summer.

The Jump Start program helped such struggling students stay on grade level and in some cases even progress academically over the summer, they said.

"If my child is going to this and being helped in life, I would be very upset if it was cut," Crosby said.

The students mostly focus on new instruction, including some early looks at next school year's lessons.

About one-third of the students come to the summer program for more than one year. Many go just one summer and are able to maintain their grade-level learning skills in subsequent years, school officials have said.

"Each summer we've been able to maintain student scores in reading and math," Dudderar said. "It's certainly been a viable program."

Students can qualify for the federally funded program based on Maryland School Assessment scores and other academic indicators. The program is voluntary.

"Right now, we're looking at the program," said Carol Poe, supervisor of instruction for Title I. "We're certainly looking at other options," that would allow students who need extra services to receive help over the summer, she said.

Cathy Allen, school board vice chair, said Thursday she had no comment on the fate of the program until she hears more information about it.

At a Title I school at least 40 percent of students qualify for free and reduced priced meals based on federally established poverty guidelines.

The elementary schools in the county that had more than 40 percent of economically disadvantaged students in 2008 were Carver at 62 percent, Lexington Park at 59 percent, Green Holly at 51 percent and Park Hall at 45 percent.

jyeatman@somdnews.com