A drop in state funding has Knox school officials looking at alternatives to summer school.
Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart told the school board Tuesday that the corporation got its yearly summer school funding amount earlier in the day. “In the past, they have funded up to 105 percent of summer school funding,” he explained, “and today, because so many schools are having summer school now, we’re going to be funded at 62 cents on a dollar. So for every dollar of costs, we’re only going to get reimbursed for 62 cents.”
He said the declining state funding played a role in the decision not to offer classes at Knox High School this summer. Instead, Reichhart said students will soon be able to take the classes they need during the school year, using a digital learning system called Apex. “It will give kids an opportunity to independently study on a computer, and how many courses does it have? Numerous. I mean, you think of it, and it’s [there]. You can take AP on it.”
He added that the system will not only help students who have fallen behind, but also those who can’t fit the class they want to take into their normal schedule. “I always worry about those kids that want to be in band and then they want to be in — and sometimes, our schedule doesn’t allow that flexibility that they can choose everything that they need to go on to college, if they’re going to go that route,” Reichhart said. “And with this, they will be able to select classes and work independently, either at home or with us here at school.”
Reichhart said the Apex curriculum will be added this fall at Knox High School and possibly Knox Middle School. It will also be a key part of new Redskin Academy alternative high school. He added that the total cost will be funded with some of the remediation money the school corporation gets from the state.
Similar digital learning systems have been introduced at many area school corporations, over the past few years.
