Menomonie (WQOW) - An area school district is making
some changes to boost summer school enrollment.
The Menomonie School District
says around 1,000 students are participating in summer school programs this
year. In the past, the number was closer to 900. The district says this year it
has made several changes, including adding a field trip on Fridays, offering
breakfast and lunch, and tweaking the curriculum.
"We've done Monday
through Thursday for parents, but what we didn't realize is, the feedback we
were receiving was "What do we do with our kids on Fridays?" said Susan Mommsen, Coordinator for the Menomonie Summer School Program.
The Menomonie school district has
offered summer school in the past, but this year is different.
"We offer things
like sewing class, gymnastics, swimming, we have tractor safety courses for
kids who are looking to move into the farm community, we have an opportunity
for kids to get real up close and personal with animals," Mommsen said.
"It's just a really
fun way for students to keep their mind moving during summer while making it
fun too," said teacher Liz Welch.
So far, the new options are going
over well.
"It's a great
opportunity for our kids and our parents to see how busy this building is on a
daily basis. It doesn't matter if it's during the school year or in the
summertime, we are constantly running a full school. So our summer school
program enrollment is bursting at the seams really at this point," said Mommsen.
Menomonie isn't the only school
seeing an increase in summer school attendance.
Officials in Eau Claire, Bloomer and Durand
say they are seeing increased enrollment.
Durand offered just a pair of
courses in past years, but the elementary alone is offering seven courses this summer.
