School Board tightens summer school rules

By NATE HUBBARD/Staff

Students who doze through the school year will no longer have the option of waking up for summer school under a new policy approved Monday night by the Bland County School Board.
The governing body voted to accept seven stipulations that define a “suitable effort” that students must show in order to be eligible to repeat one of their regular courses in summer school.
To maintain summer school eligibility, students must now throughout the school year:
• Be in compliance with the county attendance policy
• Turn in all teacher assignments
• Complete daily class work
• Take and complete all tests and exams
• Participate in class activities and discussions
• Earn a grade average of at least 60 percent
Students must also receive a recommendation from their teacher in the subject they wish to repeat in order be eligible for the corresponding summer school course.
“This shows effort and I think that’s what we are trying to instill in our kids,” said Superintendent Don Hodock in expressing his support for the policy.
During the School Board’s January meeting, Hodock first discussed the need to close a loophole that allowed students to ignore their studies for months on end during the school year, and then make up the credit in a mere 12 class meetings through a summer school course.
Although only a few high school students abused the system, Hodock said they often caused a major distraction for teachers and other students.
“When students sit idly all year, they become an annoyance to the teacher, a poor example to their peers and often a discipline problem,” Hodock said in a letter to the School Board. “These students simply tell the teacher they are not going to do any work and that they will take the course in summer school as a repeat class.”
The members of the School Board agreed with Hodock’s points, saying they saw it as not in the best scholastic interests of students to allow them to use summer school as a way to ignore their regular studies.
“We’ve got to get away from that mentality, that I’m going to take the easy way out,” said School Board Chairman Anthony Kennedy during the January meeting. “They’ve got to take ownership of themselves and their education.”
However, the School Board members were wary of the ambiguous “suitable effort” term that was proposed in January as the requirement for summer school eligibility, leading to the more tangible stipulations that were approved Monday.
The School Board previously discussed just requiring regular attendance in the semester-long courses as a means of determining suitable effort, but Hodock said students who attend class without participating are part of the problem.
“They could be present every day with their blanket and pillow and not be giving suitable effort,” Hodock said.
The School Board members seemed satisfied with the seven requirements presented Monday, approving the policy with little additional discussion.
After the meeting, Hodock said the policy would apply immediately and would be used to determine 2008 summer school eligibility.
Since the School Board is initiating the new requirements mid-semester, Hodock said students who may have ignored their schoolwork up until now will remain eligible for summer school if they meet the stipulations for the remainder of the school year.
During Monday’s meeting, the School Board also approved the calendar for the 2008-2009 school year. The first day of school will be Aug. 20.
The calendar also includes a new fall break and a vacation day for Memorial Day (May 25, 2009) that have not been taken in recent school years.
The fall break vacation day will be taken on Oct. 10, although school will dismiss early at 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 8 and will not be in held on Oct. 9 for a teacher workday creating an overall four and a half day break for students before school resumes on Monday, Oct. 13.
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 1-800-655-1406 or .