LEWISTON — Superintendent Jake Langlais told the School Committee this week that Lewiston’s summer school may not run in 2023 unless additional funds are found.
“Twelve months from now, we’re not planning a summer school unless we find some pot of money through a grant or something like that,” Langlais said during a budget presentation Wednesday evening. “We won’t be able to transport kids, we won’t be able to buy materials, we won’t be able to pay staff.”
The summer school will operate this year using temporary government aid, however next year remains in question. The district will need to fund the program by the next budget cycle if it is to continue.
“(The summer school) is a big piece that we were very hesitant to move to (emergency aid funds) last year, but when the budget got so big, we had no way to pay for it,” Langlais said.
Langlais estimated the program supports more than 1,000 students. It is “by far the largest summer school in the state,” Assistant Superintendent Karen Paquette said.
Over the past several years, the district’s summer school has grown, from the elementary level to high school, in part due to grants that have since expired.
Lewiston maintained the programs and secured more funding to make up for the expired grants, but it’s grown to be a large and costly program.
Langlais estimated that the summer school program requires roughly half a million dollars to run each year.
At the middle and high school level, the summer school primarily operates as a credit recovery program.
The elementary summer school programs are more focused on expanding the academic experience, Paquette explained.
Ward 2 representative Janet Beaudoin asked whether the program could be restructured or partially moved online in order to reduce the cost.
“I think we have to look at every option,” Langlais said. “Because we’ve had (federal aid funds) we haven’t had to look at that (before),” he said.
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