ShawneeDispatch.com

De Soto USD 232 is conducting summer school in its two newest buildings, Mill Creek Middle School and Horizon Elementary School, in an effort to provide a more central location and cut utility costs.

"We're just trying to make everything easier on everybody," said district grant coordinator Tonya Phillips, who also is in charge of summer school this year. "Instead of two different locations on each side, we decided to have a more central location this time."

In previous years when central locations such as Mill Creek and Horizon were not available, the district offered summer classes in a secondary and an elementary school on both the east and west sides of De Soto.

The switch also is easing water and electricity costs, Phillips said, since the district is cutting the number of buildings opened in half.

Although the program changed locations, the district maintained its format that includes focusing on students who are struggling in math and reading. Enrichment is not offered. The district moved to this format in 2006 in an effort to help students perform better on state assessments in math and reading and to cut costs.

While De Soto no longer offers enrichment programs, some other districts continue to provide programs based on arts, theater and music. This is the 20th year for the Shawnee Mission School District's Summer Enrichment program.

"There is just not a whole lot of extra funding to be doing anything else," Phillips said. "We really want to further children's academics first because we are a school district."