With the school year now over for the Greene County School District, summer school is right around the corner.

District Reading Specialist Julie Neal says summer school is open to any kindergartener through eighth grader that would like assistance with reading and math. Summer school is a five-week program, with two-hour sessions everyday, except for Fridays, from 9:30-11:45am. The programs will begin June 21st, take two weeks off for 4th of July and the week of the Greene County Fair, will then resume and run until August 5th. 

Neal noticed the learning gaps the lower grades had, from the previous school year, when students didn’t come back to school after spring break to this year, focusing mainly on growth of the students, rather than keeping them accelerated.

“Those elementary teachers took those kids where they’re at and they doubled it, tripled their scores. Maybe we didn’t make benchmark, but we were coming in at ground zero and working their tails off to get those kids, and those kids were working hard too. That’s why it’s so important to have summer school this year to keep them going and to get them where they need to be.”

Neal adds, there are designated pickup and drop off locations in the surrounding communities, including at the Scranton Community Center, the former school building area in Grand Junction, near the Rippey Library and at the former middle school in Jefferson. Pickup times are between 9 and 9:15am and dropoff is around 12:30pm, following the free lunch program at the elementary school in Jefferson. Any kindergarten through eighth grade parent can contact the elementary school for more information or to sign up.