Summit, a non-traditional grant program, looks to possibly expand in 2023-2024 school year district wide
Mar. 29—A non-traditional school program that works to lift graduation rates currently has a 95% success rate — and it's only in its third year in the Aiken County Public School District.
Summit, a program that targets students who are off grade level or will not graduate on time, currently is in its third year as an EEDA grant program available to students in 11th and 12th grade.
The program currently works with almost 40 students from three Aiken County high schools to accelerate them through course work by focusing on one class at a time with instruction given in the evenings. The program was brought before the Aiken County Board of Education on March 28 to seek funding for the 2023-2024 school year.
"This program is important because these are students that sometimes just fall through the cracks ... we need to give every student the opportunity to be able to earn that high school diploma so that they can be successful throughout their life," said Jennifer Kolmar, who leads the Summit program and also works for the district as an Aiken Innovate Coordinator. "Most of my Summit kids, they wouldn't have been able to continue and be as successful as they are in just that traditional high school setting"
Kolmar started developing the program five years ago as a way to find a solution for students falling behind and repeating grade levels.
She currently works alongside six current educators and three guidance counselors to provide full-time support to catch students up to grade level or to help them graduate on time.
In Summit, students work full time on one to two courses at a time. After completing end of course exams, or passing a class, they move onto the next class. They work after school during the week from 4-7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Currently, students from Aiken High, South Aiken High and Midland Valley High are able to use Summit due to grant flexibility.
During a 40-minute presentation to the school board, Kolmar outlined an expansion that could impact students district wide across two different levels of need. The plan is likely to be presented as a separate line item in the 2023-2024 school year budget. A budget workshop will be held on April 11.
"Overall 740 students across our district would benefit from a program like Summit," Kolmar said.
Kolmar said the 740 students were identified through data showing they are off grade level, but other students who could benefit from the program would be identified by their counselors.
Under the proposed plan, Level 1 would target 10th-grade students who are one to four credits behind. Under the extension plan, students would work remotely at school campuses during non-traditional hours to bring them back on track. Level 2, or full time help, would expand from 40 students to between 75-90 per year.
"I just want to have the opportunity to be able to provide this program to students across the district. I have been fortunate with my grant to be able to help some students but as the data showed in the presentation, there is a need district wide for students to be able to receive this type of support," Komar said.
Aiken County Public School superintendent King Laurence said the district saw good results with the program and "may have some other options for funding as well that we will continue to explore" but that it anticipated including the Summit program in the upcoming budget recommendation.
"The (students) should be commended for not giving up on their education and doing what it takes to achieve what is important," school board member Brian Silas said. "It's fantastic that you identified a need and then a solution and not just a solution, but one that is successful and getting you and the program recognition nationwide."
Samantha Winn covers the cities of North Augusta and Augusta, with a focus on community oriented business and events. Follow her on Twitter: @samanthamwinn and on Facebook and Instagram: @swinnnews.
