Summer-school bell rings this week for nearly 40,000

Thousands of students will head back to school on Wednesday when the Philadelphia School District kicks off an expanded summer-school session.

About 31,000 students will be taking instructional courses that they either failed or want more help in, while another 8,000 will be enrolled in enrichment programs such as art, dance, world languages, chess, science and math.

Classes run through July 31.

Last year's 22,000 summer-school students were limited to taking just remedial instructional courses, said Denise Wing, a deputy in the Office of School Operations.

"This summer school will be like none of the others," Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said.

"Summer school this year is for those students who want to catch up, for those students who want to get ahead, for those students who are ahead and want to accelerate."

It is not the biggest summer session ever, however. Former district chief executive Paul Vallas made revising summer school a top priority after learning that less than 5 percent of the district's students were enrolled when he arrived in July 2002.

By the summer of 2004, 46,412 students - or 25 percent of the then-184,000 student population - took remedial classes. Another 44,000 students enrolled in enrichment programs that year.

Students attending classes this year for promotion or credit must maintain a 70 point average that will be based on midterm and final exams, and they must have no more than three absences.

For the first time, students at charter schools have been invited to enroll in the district's summer program - but unlike district students, they may have to pay.

For one to two instructional courses, the fee is $300, and for one enrichment program the cost is $60, Wing said.

"Because our program is funded by a grant, we are trying to recoup our cost from the charter schools," she said. "If we're not successful with that, parents can opt to pay our district cost. But we are dealing with every parent and their needs on an individual basis."

She stressed that no charter students will be turned away if their parents cannot afford the fee, or if their schools will not cover it, Wing said.

"This is about students, so the most important thing is that students who need to come are able to come," she said.

As of Friday, the district did not know how many charter students had enrolled.

David Hardy, founder and chief executive of Boys' Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, suspects the district will get few takers.

A number of charter schools - unhappy with the district's instruction - have told the district that they will not accept credits that their students earn in the district's summer program, Hardy said.

"I think, like me, a lot of other schools are doing their own summer school," he said.

District officials asked those with summer-school questions to call 215-400-4000.