Extended school year services are special education and related services determined by a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team to be required outside of the school term to provide the student with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

In contrast, summer school is elective.  This means that school districts are not required to provide summer school programs.

No. Summer school programs are not designed to implement individual programs for students with disabilities. Because summer school classes are permissive, they are not considered special education.

Summer school programs must be open to all students residing in the district, including home-schooled and private school students.

All students must meet the essential eligibility requirements for the summer school classes they wish to participate in, with or without modifications, as noted under Title II. Students who meet these requirements are considered qualified individuals.

A qualified individual with a disability is an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modifications to rules, policies, practices, the removal of architectural, communication, or transportation barriers, or the provision of auxiliary aids and services, meets the essential eligibility requirements for the receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity, such as a school district.

Modifications and services are considered reasonable when they do not result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program or in undue financial or administrative burdens. Decisions about whether reasonable modifications can be made for students with disabilities are made on an individual basis with input from parents, summer school personnel, and the student’s teachers.

Modifications to instruction that fundamentally alter the content or instructional level of a summer class may be considered unreasonable. A student requiring such modifications may not be qualified to participate in that class.

Academic or functional support services that require additional personnel not otherwise available in summer school classes may be considered undue burdens for the district. A student requiring such services may not be qualified to participate in that class. Requests for modifications and services will be considered based on individual circumstances.

Eligibility for ESY services does not exclude a qualified student from participation in summer school programs.

Parents can consider summer school or other community or family-based activities as alternatives to having their child participate in ESY services. However, these alternatives are not designed to provide FAPE, which is an individual entitlement for every child with a disability.

Please contact:

Summer School Office
 
Phone: (920) 852-5332
   
Director
Todd Kadolph email

Coordination Specialist
Karrie Kadolph email  

For more information about extended school year services, contact your child’s special education teacher or the Student Services Office at 852-5317.