' This case should be made to the state and also to government agencies and private donations that provide grants for worthwhile programs of the necessity of continued funding for the summer school. The school board must be made fully aware of all of the options that exist as sources of funding for under-served youths.

However, if the program cannot be continued in its current format, the students served by the summer school should not be abandoned. Instead, they should be referred to other community programs that can help them with their skill deficits or needs. For example, the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization can provide mentors to the children to help them with their homework and find positive sources of amusement during the summer. For students who need to repeat a grade because of a failing class or standardized test scores and need more...

This is a goal that must be accomplished. Even if aspects of the program must be curtailed or outsourced, having no summer school at all and no source of enrichment for these at-risk students is by far the worst of all possible options. And in the case of this summer school, there are many organizations, such as educational institutions, whose own goals can be furthered by helping our students succeed. Community partnerships can provide a win-win scenario in the long run, and sustain the program.