TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The Twin Falls School District is planning for a significant increase in the number of students enrolled in summer school this year.
“This year we are almost doubling in size,” said summer school Principal Nancy Murphy.
Elementary schools are planning to have about 360 to 400 students. At the secondary level normally, they would have about 240 students in middle school and about 170 in high school. This year, the Twin Falls School District is expecting that to go up to about 350 in middle school and 250 at high school.
Teachers and school districts have worked tirelessly this year to adjust learning, both in-person and online for students. Regardless, the COVID-19 pandemic has still caused a learning gap or missing credits for many students.
“We are trying to close gaps that we see forming,” said Murphy. “We are all very concerned about that. Even in the best-case scenario, instructional time was lost due to COVID, not only from this year but from shutting down last spring.”
With more students attending summer school, naturally more teachers will be there to teach. Thanks to federal funding related to coronavirus, summer school teachers will get an increase in pay.
“We had great support from families, really trying to make it work, but it’s just not what we are used to and it was a learning curve for all of us,” said Murphy. “I think the days we got the kids back in school were the best. We just want to be with kids and teaching and learning together.”
