The San Antonio Independent School District will use $22 million in federal recovery money to add 30 optional days of classes. The instructional days will be added over the summer and during the school year and weekends, and will extend for the next three school years and four summers. The funds will pay the full hourly rate for staff who choose to work the additional days and the costs of operating schools. The content of the sessions varies by age range and student need. Preschool students, for example, can attend programs that expose them to prerequisite skills and vocabulary, while algebra boot camps are available for high school students. There are also special offerings for bilingual students.
We are spotlighting this because of the use of federal funds to increase quality. In-person learning time by extending the school year appears to be a promising strategy.
