by Kate Evans
The summer of 2025 could bring a new version of summer school and academic program offerings for Morgan County.
Morgan County Schools Elementary Education Director Summer McClintock and Federal Programs and Assessment Coordinator Tina Cannon brought a summer school program proposal to the Morgan County School Board at their December 17 meeting. They painted a picture of a blend of summer school with the former Energy Express program. 
School Superintendent David Banks said that McClintock’s and Cannon’s presentation was a discussion of information that would allow the school board and administrators to make their best decision about the summer school format.
West Virginia mandates summer programs for K-3 students who are not progressing in reading and/or math through House Bill 3035, said Cannon.
Students entering 3rd grade in Fall 2026 will be the first group under the retention provisions.
The West Virginia Department of Education advised phasing in summer school learning for eligible students. The phase-in timeline would be summer 2024-rising first graders; summer 2025-rising first and second graders; summer 2026-rising first to third graders; and summer 2027-rising first through fourth graders.
Feedback that McClintock received from teachers regarding summer school included that a small group size allowed for more individualized instruction and that shifting activities frequently between learning games (songs, read-alouds, movement, etc.) and intervention helped. Student progress was made in letter writing, phonics and fluency.
Teachers recommended longer days but fewer days a week for the summer school program. Short morning schedules may have been hard for families, even with transportation provided.
McClintock noted that teachers felt that getting clear information out sooner is vital so staff and families can plan ahead. Providing more information about the Third Grade Succeeds Act was important.
Some 42 K-2 students scored below the benchmark grade level cut score in reading (7 students), math (24 students) or both subjects (11 students), Cannon said. Their target population would be 40 students.
Energy Express option
Option 1 for the summer school program would be Energy Express, targeting 40 rising first through third grade students, with priority to K/1 students below the cut score, McClintock said.
Energy Express is a six-week (five half-days or four full days) summer reading and nutrition program for children in West Virginia’s rural and low-income communities that aims to prevent the “summer slide.” Children increase or maintain reading levels through books, art, drama and vocabulary.
A print-rich environment is created. Kids have access to books and printed materials, time to read and write, daily read-alouds and take-home books and engaging activities, which make reading and learning fun.
McClintock said while Energy Express would improve children’s reading levels that alone it wouldn’t meet House Bill 3035 state requirements. They needed to provide a blended model.
The sample schedule for a blended Energy Express and intervention model would have teacher planning from 8:00-8:30 am. Kids would arrive at 8:30 am. and have breakfast until 9:00 am., followed by one hour each of English language arts and math intervention from 9:00-11:00 am.
Recess and lunch would occur from 11:00-12:00 noon. The Energy Express model would take place from 12 noon-2:30 p.m. with dismissal happening from 2:30-3:00 p.m.
Students would rotate through stations such as reading, writing, drama, art and outdoor play during the afternoon Energy Express model activities block.
The program would be manned by five AmeriCorps mentors and two teachers. The total budget is $42,239.42 and would be funded by $31,353.75 in grant funding along with Title I, Title IV and Third Grade Succeeds Act monies. Cannon said that the local cost for Energy Express is a minimum of around 33% of the budget.
McClintock said the state Energy Express director said yes to their blended program concept, but asked them to provide a plan and a proposal. McClintock said they need more details.
MoCo summer school option
Option 2-the MoCo summer school program- would target 40 rising first through second grade students in a three-week, four days a week program that would run from 8:00 am.-3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Five teachers would work with eight students in small group interventions and use iReady personalized learning and learning games.
The goal is to prevent the summer slide and increase reading and math proficiency through intensive intervention sessions with certified teachers, McClintock said. STEM activities and learning games will also encourage increased engagement. There would be daily read-alouds and take-home books, small group interventions and relationship-building.
The MoCo summer school program sample schedule would begin with teacher planning time from 8:00-8:30 a.m., student arrival and breakfast from 8:30-9:00 a.m. and 90 minutes of English language arts intervention from 9:00-10:30 a.m. A half-hour of STEM activities, recess and lunch would take place from 10:30 am.-12:00 noon.
90 minutes of math intervention would occur from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. followed by a half-hour of Read Aloud, student dismissal from 2:00-2:30 p.m. and another half-hour of teacher planning at the end.
The total budget of the MoCo summer school program is $48,716 with funding from Title I, Title IV, & Third Grade Succeeds monies. VISTAs aren’t available for the MoCo summer school program.
Both the Energy Express and the MoCo summer school program options have money budgeted for a Paw Paw teacher and Paw Paw books and supplies. Breakfast and lunch is provided.
School board vice-president Laura Smith said she’s anxious to see Energy Express come back. Board member John Rowland said the Energy Express data he saw while serving on the Morgan County Extension Service Board was compelling and that he’s glad to see it coming back.
