>> WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME,
JENNIE.
GOOD LUCK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SCHOOL IS OUT FOR SUMMER AND
NOW SUMMER SCHOOL BEGINS, BUT
WHO IS GOING AND HOW MIGHT EXTRA
CLASS TIME HELP MAKE UP FOR
LEARNING LOSS SUFFERED DURING
THE PANDEMIC?
SARA SHAW SPECIALIZES IN
EDUCATION AS SENIOR RESEARCHER
FOR THE WISCONSIN POLICY FORUM.
SARA, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH
US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> SO WE KNOW ACCORDING TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
THAT THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT
NUMBERS FOR SUMMER SCHOOL THIS
SUMMER DON'T COME OUT UNTIL
OCTOBER.
BUT WHAT DO TRENDS FROM RECENT
PRIOR YEARS OF SUMMER SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE ACROSS THE STATE TELL
US?
>> SO PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC,
SUMMER SCHOOL ENROLLMENT HAD
GENERALLY BEEN INCREASING.
THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT AND SUMMER
2020, IT SAW A 57% DECREASE.
THE QUESTION WAS WHAT WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN STARTING IN SUMMER
2021 AND WHAT WE SAW IN THAT
YEAR WAS THAT ENROLLMENT WAS
BACK UP TO 88.3% OF 2019
ENROLLMENT, SO WHAT WE SCRIBAL
AS A PARTIAL RECOVERY.
A LOT OF THE DISTRICTS FULLY
RECOVERED AND MANY DID NOT.
THEN WE LOOKED RECENTLY TO SEE
WHAT HAPPENED FOR SUMMER 2020.
SO LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME.
AND THE NUMBERS BARELY BUDGED,
SO IT'S ONLY UP BY HALF A
PERCENTAGE POINT.
WE'RE AT 88.8% OF WHAT THE
NUMBERS WERE IN 2019.
AND THESE NUMBERS ARE RELEVANT
BECAUSE WHILE SUMMER SCHOOL
ISN'T EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE, IT
WAS SERVING A PURPOSE PRIOR TO
THE PANDEMIC AND THE QUESTION
IS, HAS IT BEEN ABLE TO REGAIN
THAT ORIGINAL PURPOSE, MUCH LESS
BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
SUPPORT TO HELP LEARNING
RECOVERY.
>> SO WHY WOULDN'T ENROLLMENT
MOSTLY HAVE REBOUNDED AFTER THE
WORST OF COVID?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF
HYPOTHETICALS.
I THINK IN THAT 2021, THAT FIRST
YEAR BACK, THERE WERE CONCERNS
OF STAFF BURN-OUT, OF CONTINUED
COVID HESITANCY, EVEN WITH THE
VACCINES, DISTRICTS GETTING
THEMSELVES GOING AGAIN.
AS WE GET FURTHER OUT, I THINK
THE EXPLANATIONS BECOME TRICKIER
TO PIN DOWN, AND IT IS A TIGHT
LABOR MARKED, SO TEACHERS HAVE A
LOT OF OPTIONS OR HAD A LOT OF
OPTIONS, AT LEAST, OF WHAT THEY
COULD BE DOING OVER THE SUMMER
AND BUDGETS AT THE STATE AND
LOCAL LEVEL WERE FAIRLY
CONSTRAINED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MANY
DISTRICTS HAD ACCESS TO FEDERAL
RELIEF FUNDS THAT COULD HAVE
HELPED FUND THAT SUMMER SCHOOL.
SO PROBABLY MOST RELATED TO
STAFFING, BUT ALSO QUESTIONS
ABOUT SCHOOL BUDGETS AND
PARENTAL INTEREST, OR PARENTS
AND GUARDIANS THINKING ABOUT HOW
DID THEY WANT THEIR KIDS
EXPECTED THE SUMMER.
>> YOU WROTE A TALE OF TWO
DISTRICTS, ONE BEING MILWAUKEE,
WHICH DID NOT REBOUND
SIGNIFICANTLY AT ALL, AND ONE
BEING GREEN BAY, WHICH DID AND
REALLY LEANED INTO THIS KIND OF
SUMMER SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THESE TWO DISTRICTS?
>> WELL, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT
TO JUST LOOK AT SUMMER SCHOOL
BECAUSE EACH OF THESE DISTRICTS
ARE TAKING ON SO MANY DIFFERENT
EFFORTS OF WHICH SUMMER SCHOOL
IS A PIECE, BUT GREEN BAY REALLY
MADE THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT TO
SAY SUMMER SCHOOL IS THE LEVER
WE ARE GOING TO PULL, OR ONE OF
THE MAJOR LEVERS WE ARE GOING TO
PULL TO GET OUR TEACHERS BACK IN
PERSON, GETTING OUR STUDENTS
USED TO BEING BACK IN PERSON.
THEY SWITCHED FROM A PART-DAY
PROGRAM TOE A FULL-DAY PROGRAM
BECAUSE IT GAVE THAT EXTRA TIME
WITH KIDS TO NOT ONLY HELP THEM
CATCH UP ACADEMICALLY AND
ACCELERATE THEIR LEARNING, AND
ALSO REESTABLISH SOME OF THOSE
SOCIAL TIES THAT REALLY WERE
FRAYED OR EVEN BROKEN FROM THE
PANDEMIC AND IT WAS A RESPONSE
TO PARENTS WHO WERE ASKING FOR
FULL-DAY CHILDCARE, SUMMER
SCHOOL FOR ALL OF ITS BENEFITS
FOR STUDENTS IS ALSO CHILDCARE
FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS, SO
THAT WAS A BIG INVESTMENT, THAT
IN MANY RESPECTS FROM ENROLLMENT
SEEMS LIKE IT WAS VERY
SUCCESSFUL, BUT ALSO BROUGHT
BUDGETARY CHALLENGES FOR THE
DISTRICT.
NPS HAS BEEN PUTTING ITS
INVESTMENTS ELSEWHERE, SO SUMMER
SCHOOL AS PART OF THEIR RECOVERY
EFFORTS.
>> JUST SUPER QUICKLY, WE KNOW
THAT THE COVID RELIEF FUNDS
EXPIRE IN 2024, FUNDS THAT HAD
HELPED DISTRICTS KIND OF DO
THESE SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON AFTER
THAT?
>> AFTER THAT, DEPENDS A LOT ON
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE STATE
LEGISLATURE.
THE QUESTION IS TO WHAT EXTENT
COULD DISTRICTS PULL ON STATE
AND LOCAL DOLLARS TO HELP SMOOTH
THAT TRANSITION AWAY FROM THE
FEDERAL FUNDS.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SARA SHAW, THANKS FOR YOUR
EXPERTISE.
>> MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
OUR WEBSITE AT PBS WISCONSIN