Easton Public Schools Summer Enrichment Academy Downsizes Dramatically Due to the Loss of Federal Funding

EASTON — Due to the cessation of federal grant funding that fueled the program over the past four years, the Summer Enrichment Academy (SEA) provided by Easton Public Schools was downsized dramatically but was kept alive by the district with the help of Bridgewater State University (BSU), providing an engaging series of educational activities to approximately 25 students.

Prior to this summer, throughout the first four years of its existence, the SEA program was funded through federal grants starting during the Covid pandemic, and it was able to serve nearly 200 students annually in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Unfortunately, the crucial funding that allowed Easton Public Schools to provide this incredibly important program on a much larger scale was ended,” said Superintendent Dr. Lisha Cabral. “Without this funding, many students who would have otherwise benefited greatly from this programming were not reached this summer.”

When the funding came to a halt this year, the school district got creative. By partnering with BSU, the SEA program was able to continue, albeit in a much smaller form.

“We hope that the partnership with BSU will grow, enabling us to offer Summer Enrichment to additional students in the future,” said Assistant Superintendent 
Christine Pruitt. “Each year, students encounter the ‘summer slide,’ when they are not in school. The SEA program helps alleviate that summer loss.”

The SEA program ran this year from July 8 through Aug. 1, serving students from kindergarten through fifth grade, with three graduate students from the Reading Specialist graduate program at BSU teaching small groups for 2 1/2 hours each day. In addition to literacy, participating students received math instruction from tutors hired by the school district. This year, the SEA program was held at Blanche Ames Elementary School on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

In addition to the SEA program, Easton Public Schools operates an Extended School Year (ESY) program in the summer, with three programs for students ages 3 through 22. A total of 132 students participated this year in the program, which is staffed by 36 paraprofessionals, 9 related service providers, 3 tutors and 17 teachers.

Extended School Year services, mandated by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, are designed to provide special education and related services to students with disabilities beyond the regular school year.

“Summer programming for students with disabilities is essential to maintaining skills, fostering independence, and ensuring a smooth transition into the next school year,” said Easton Public Schools’ Director of Special Services Craig Davidson. “Our staff provide continuous opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and thrive, without losing the progress they’ve worked so hard to achieve throughout the school year.”

In addition to the SEA and ESY programs, Easton Public Schools also created a new partnership with Camp Cristina through the Stoughton YMCA. The school district sent a group of high school students to the camp to take part in a work study, serving as counselors in training.

“We look forward to building upon this program in the future and we can’t thank the YMCA leadership enough for being so supportive in establishing this opportunity for our students,” Director Davidson said.

Superintendent Cabral commended the district’s education team for providing quality, engaging summer programming, thanking Assistant Superintendent Pruitt, Director Davidson and all of the school employees who help make this possible.

“Despite the challenges that we face as a district, we are proud to be able to provide these excellent programs, which help so many students during the summer months,” said Superintendent Cabral. “Easton Public Schools is committed to providing a quality education for all of our students and to help counteract the loss of academic skills and knowledge that students may otherwise experience during the summer break. We thank all of the teachers, for ensuring that our students remain engaged academically, even through the summer, especially in the fields of math and literacy.”

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