>> 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