§401.12.  Summer enrichment programs; mandate; content; student eligibility

A.(1)  Each city and parish school system shall operate a sufficient number of schools to provide for grades kindergarten through four during the summer so that every student in the system who needs extra instruction, reinforcement, or time on task in order to be able to achieve mastery of the basic skills of reading, mathematics, and writing may attend school in the summer.

(2)  Except for courses which are intended to be equivalent to regular school year courses and for which credit for course completion may be awarded to complete curricular mandates, systems may operate programs during summer on whatever basis best facilitates student learning.  This means that school boards, school administrators, and teachers may experiment with schedules, materials, instructional personnel, class size, use of technology and any other element of planning, presentation, or environment that may facilitate student learning.

(3)  Any school system may provide for transportation, school food service, or any other appropriate support function which facilitates the attendance and retention of any student who is eligible for the program.

(4)  Every system shall plan its summer enrichment program with input from the community, including parents, students, community leaders, business interests, and any other source of interest or potential collaboration.

B.(1)  Any student who was enrolled in grades kindergarten through four in any school in the city or parish school system in the prior year who meets any of the following requirements is eligible to attend a summer enrichment program as required in this Part:

(a)  Is recommended by his classroom teacher as a student who is in need of extra assistance and would benefit from the program.

(b)  Has failed to achieve the mastery criteria established on any state mandated criterion referenced test administered to the student in the past year.

(c)  Is reading one or more grade levels below the grade which the student will be attending in the succeeding school year.

(d)  Has been recommended for retention in the same grade as attended in the past school year.

(2)(a)  Enrollment in the summer enrichment program provided in this Part is voluntary and requires that the parent or legal guardian of any student register his child in the program.

(b)  Prior to the end of each regular school year, every school shall provide the parent or guardian of every student in the school who will be eligible with written notice of the summer enrichment program planned in the school system.  Such notice shall be descriptive of the programming contents and schedule and shall provide the necessary information for the parent or guardian to enroll his child.

(c)  No tuition or fees may be charged for attendance of an eligible child.

C.  Any city or parish school system may make the summer enrichment program available to students who are not otherwise eligible as provided in this Section.  In such a case, the system may charge tuition to such students.

Acts 1997, No. 735, §1, eff. July 9, 1997.