VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Virginia Beach School Board held a meeting Tuesday night after Gov. Ralph Northam announced last week that schools should consider expanding their summer school programs.
The governor said that school officials are noticing a decline in academic achievement.
During the meeting, board members discussed improving summer school programs to make up for some of the learning students lost from virtual instruction. School officials say there is additional funding from the CARES Act that can be used to support more robust summer school programs.
News 3 spoke with Virginia Beach Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence over the phone before the meeting. He said they are in the planning stages regarding summer school, but added they will offer a more robust program than in previous summers, especially for elementary school-aged children.
“Teachers will work with parents and say, ‘Hey, we really think your child needs to be in this program.’ A parent could say to a school, as you said, ‘I really feel like my child missed out on this and I’d like them to have the opportunity,’ and we’ll try to find a program that meets that need,” Spence told us. “And I think, generally, it won’t be mandatory, but you know, we’ll make sure we’re communicating with our families what we think their child might need and what the opportunities are that they may be interested in.”
Related: Parents, education officials react to Gov. Northam's push for in-person learning
He also said plans are still on track to have grades 7-12 return to the classroom two days a week starting February 23.
School Board members also discussed the budget, which includes a 5% pay increase.
