NDSM has always been responsive to the needs of our community at the given time. This year the need is summer learning, summer food support, technology, and creating the safest and healthiest school buildings for our return to in person school this fall. While this situation has hit all of us hard, our families are a hard working, but vulnerable population. Here is a quick summary of the need.
Food Assistance
Since March, we have served over 20,000 meals, as many families have been out of work and have relied on our breakfast and lunch program. This program ends June 30, but we would like to continue it during summer school through July while parents begin to return to work. In addition, we have also provided gift cards for our most disadvantaged families for weekend and evening food support as well.
Summer School
Though we responded quickly to move learning online, it just isn't the same as in person learning. To address this, we are hosting a 5 week summer school, and 100% of our families have signed up (over 490 students). State funding for summer school is in limbo, and there has never been a greater need for a high-quality, summer learning experience for students. According to recent surveys, the majority of parents are worried their child is falling behind during these challenging times, particularly low income families. Researchers are also projecting that students from lower income families may retain only 70% of their reading progress and 50% of of their progress in math compared to a normal year. Our families are craving engaging summer programming and we are excited to be able to fill this need.
Technology
We also would like to purchase additional technology so that every student, not just every household, has a device to learn at home and have funds available for home internet as free internet packages run out in mid-June.
Buildings and Equipment
We are working very hard as a school to develop a plan that ensures that we are able to return to school this fall in the safest and healthiest environment possible. Such a plan requires additional purchases and capital projects, including masks, more hand sanitizing stations, touchless water fountains, desks, additional cleaning equipment, replacement of damaged windows for air circulation, and renovating larger spaces for academic purposes and social distancing.