El Paso ISD offers way to prevent summer “brain drain” with free program

Summer school has a whole new meaning in the El Paso Independent School District. Instead of being solely centered on kids who need to catch up, the district’s Summer Enrichment Program focuses on keeping kids sharp.

EPISD is trying to fight what they call “the summer brain drain” or “learning slide,” where kids spend most their time off in front of the TV and forget everything they learned during the school year.

“Earth is going to be destroyed in 75 years,” said teacher Gabriella Lozano to her class. “So we’re going to have to get 70 trillion people out of earth in order for them not to be destroyed.”

It sounds like a lot for these 5th graders to handle.

“Your mission is to help evacuate them,” Lozano said.

But during EPISD’s first summer enrichment program, they’ll have to be astronauts and architects in space, helping to create vessels for the world’s last to survive in.

“The teachers are engaging the students and the students are having a lot of fun,” said program coordinator Joe Valencia.

Summer school is usually for the kids for failed the STAAR test. In the beginning of the summer the district does offer the Student Success Initiative to get them on track. But for the rest of the summer, students from Pre-k thru 8th grade can attend a four-week program everyday from 8 a.m. To 3 p.m., that offers breakfast, lunch, physical education, social studies, fine arts, language arts, math and science all for free.

“Well I work full time and usually I have the kids between summer camps, trying to keep them occupied and not bored,” said parent Janette Halloul. “So this was a good alternative.”

“We’re going to need all the things humans need to survive,” Lozano said to the class. “We’re going to need schools, stores, daycares.”

Teachers had to apply for this job, an opportunity to be flexible, creative and not have to grade their students, just teach.

There’s about 20 schools in each part of the district that offer the program. A student would go the one in their feeder pattern. So far about 4,000 attend, allowing the teacher to student ratio to remain low.

“I think its great socially and arts and crafts the creative program is great,” Halloul said.

“Learning doesn’t stop after school,” Valencia said. “It’s a way to continue to bring those enriching activities to students.”

The program is paid through Title 1 funds, although EPISD allocated around $3 million if needed in last year’s budget.