Correction and Clarification: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the total of funding cuts over three years. After the article was published, the San Diego Unified School District took steps to ensure that significant summer school funding is available. This is detailed in a new article.
The San Diego Unified School District will sharply scale back programming this summer, leaving many families scrambling to adjust their schedules.
Summer school options will be limited this year as SDUSD cuts $9 million in services to address ongoing budget woes, which include a projected $112.7 million shortfall in the next academic year.
The district’s department in charge of after-school and summer school programming, Extended Learning Opportunities, is facing the reduction, officials announced Feb. 19 at the District Advisory Council on Compensatory Education.
There is currently no available programming set for grades 7 and 8, and instead of every high school being open for summer courses, only five in-person sites are set to offer classes for grades 9-12.
They are Hoover High, Lincoln High, Logan Memorial Educational Campus, Mission Bay High and Morse High. Additionally, Mira Mesa High will offer online courses.
Summer programs begin June 4 and end July 3, with additional Level-Up Enrichment programming for grades TK-6 set to take place from July 7-18 at community locations, which have yet to be announced, rather than school sites.
Tobie Pace, senior director of Extended Learning Opportunities, said at the district council meeting that cuts coming from state and federal funding will force them to reduce their summer programming to “must-dos.”
“As you know, in the district we are currently looking at solutions, but we went back and had to examine all of these grant funds and offer the must-do programs to our families,” Pace said.
Summer school will no longer be available for high school students looking to get ahead on credits. Classes will be available only for students who received a D or F in a previous class and need to make up the grade, Pace said.
High school students have the choice to attend summer school in person or online. In-person students can recover credits in up to four courses in core subject areas, and online students can recover credits in up to two.
The lack of programming for middle schoolers this summer, Pace said, could be addressed through a partnership with the Visual and Performing Arts Foundation.
Priority enrollment, she said, will be offered to students who are homeless, foster students, low income, English learners or siblings of one and those who have Individualized Education Programs.
“So the clear communication is that, even though every school is not open, every student in our district who is eligible under these categories can enroll,” Pace said.
While priority enrollment closed on Feb. 23, Pace said that general enrollment will open in May for those students who do not meet the qualifications.
If parents aren’t able to get their children into summer programming due to the new limitations, non-district options are available at sandiegosummercamps.com.
However, Pace said the district expects to bring back credit acceleration and a full summer schedule next year, as Gov. Gavin Newsom recently adjusted the classifications for districts to receive funding to expand ELO programs.
As a result, SDUSD will be considered eligible in 2026 to receive more state funding in the coming school year.
According to Pace, the main sources of funding for ELO programming across San Diego Unified are from two state grants, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and the After School Education and Safety Program.
While the funding from ASES has remained, she said there have been around $9 million in reductions to ELOP funding each year for the last three academic years.
For those with questions about options available this summer, visit the program’s new website here.
This story came from reporting by Emma Taila, a San Diego Documenter, at a District Advisory Council on Compensatory Education meeting last month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. It’s run by inewsource, a nonpartisan nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative and accountability journalism. Read more about the program here.
