By: Don Driggers

The New York City summer program “Summer Rising,” designed for K-8 students, is facing significant challenges The program, which cost taxpayers $350 million, has seen a sharp decline in attendance, leaving many questioning the program’s efficacy and the allocation of funds, according to the New York Post.

According to reports from teachers and administrators, only a small percentage of the 110,000 registered students are attending classes daily. This is happening even as tens of thousands remain on waiting lists.

An internal email shared by the Educators of NYC revealed that the program hired more teachers than necessary due to the low attendance. The email, dated July 18, stated, “I am forced to consolidate all classes into one [in] each grade from K-6 beginning on Tuesday.” This decision was reportedly made by an administrator whose name was blurred out in the email screenshot. As a consequence, some teachers might have to be let go, and those who remain may need to cover multiple subjects or grades.

The revelations were first broken by the NY Post

The email further explained that despite efforts to contact families, attendance remained low. The original organization of the program, based on enrollment numbers from MySchools, could not be maintained.

A Queens middle school teacher, speaking anonymously, shared that he often sees only four students out of a roster of 16 attending his class each day. He attributed this to dull, lengthy exams and the reduction of promised field trips, saying, “You don’t see a willingness to spend the money [Summer Rising receives], and then, when you look at how some of these programs are being run, I can see why some of them say, ‘You know what, I’m not coming back.'”

The recreational activities, managed by various community-based organizations, lack consistency. This inconsistency has contributed to lower attendance rates, particularly among older students, some of whom are required to attend to make up for failed classes. Teachers noted that classes for these students are often mixed with those who do not require academic support, creating a challenging environment.

Despite these issues, the city’s Department of Education claims that attendance this summer is “on par” with the previous year, though they have not released specific numbers. DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle stated, “Summer Rising is one of our most popular programs, providing rigorous academics, engaging enrichment, daily meals, social-emotional support, and other resources to our families.” She also emphasized that teachers would not be laid off.

Although schools have the option to enroll students from the waitlist as spots open, many parents report not receiving any new offers.

Summer Rising was launched in 2021 by former Mayor Bill de Blasio using COVID-19 stimulus funds. When these funds ran out, the program faced significant budget cuts. However, after public outcry, the city announced in January that taxpayer money would be used to continue the program.

Experts had previously raised concerns about relying on temporary funding for such initiatives. Ana Champeny, vice president for research at the Citizens Budget Commission, noted, “Our point back in 2021 was, ‘Please don’t use non-recurring funding to establish programs that no one’s going to want to end, because you aren’t going to have a way to fund them down the line.'”

Summer Rising was intended to address pandemic-related learning loss. However, Champeny remarked, “I don’t know that it did that effectively, at all, but what it did do is drive up our baseline spending.”