State Funds May Aid Summer Classes

An extra $3.2 million in state education funds may help Moorpark educators revive summer school enrichment classes for students trying to get ahead in their studies.

All but one of the enrichment classes were scrapped this summer as school officials struggled to find space for an overflow of students who had failed classes during the year or needed to improve their Stanford 9 standardized test scores.

But the extra state funding is no guarantee the enrichment programs will rebound at Moorpark. School officials are exploring ways to hold the classes off-campus and charging parents a fee.

The enrichment classes were popular not only because they were used by students to get ahead in their studies, they also offered a chance to take a class that was too crowded during the school year.

Along with the revived enrichment classes, the windfall allowed the school system to increase starting teacher salaries to $34,000 from $32,000, which schools Supt. Frank DePasquale said would attract new teachers.

“It’s a step in the right direction because we are going to face a major teaching shortage in California,” DePasquale said.