District staff presented a comprehensive report on summer school and the summer academy at the Nov. 3 Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District board meeting, describing enrollment, staffing, curriculum changes and next steps to expand access.

Presenters said the summer academy served about 328 rising K-8 students and that the high-school summer session recorded about 153 students enrolled in credit-bearing courses, with 124.5 credits earned across offerings. Staff reported roughly 70 academy staff members and noted efforts to hire interventionists and designated dual-language learners staff to provide targeted instruction.

Curriculum changes cited included adoption of the UFLI reading curriculum for elementary students and a SIPs intervention pilot to give interventionists a structured clinical reading program. Presenters said the district prescheduled field trips and adjusted schedules to increase instructional consistency and reduce teacher prep time. Staff also reported that breakfast and lunch service reached record numbers this summer.

Presentations included student testimonials from programs such as Bridge to Success, ESL Connections and female strength and conditioning programs. Students described benefits including increased confidence, exposure to college, and opportunities to build community and leadership.

Staff outlined next steps: expanding access, embedding a newcomer class in encore electives, reassessing benchmarking practices, continuing interventionist collaboration across feeder schools and exploring registration improvements via Google Forms or Infinite Campus. Board members asked questions about the newcomer class concept, staffing ratios and how reading instruction this year differed from prior years; staff said curriculum adoption reduced the need for teachers to build their own materials and made instruction more targeted.