The recession has probably helped the Smithville R-II School District summer school enrollment numbers climb, school officials say.

Summer school enrollment jumped to a record-high 975 incoming kindergarten through ninth-grade students — about 60 percent of students in those grades.

“We think some of the increase is economy driven. Parents are going back to work, so they need somewhere for their kids to go,” said Dr. George Curry, the district’s assistant superintendent for academic services.

Another budget-friendly aspect of Smithville’s summer school is that the district gives $100 to students who finish the program with perfect attendance. The attendance incentive has been a Smithville summer school staple for many years.

“Given the economy, for some parents who have a few children, that money can be significant,” said Dennis Pieper, who serves as the summer school principal for fourth- through ninth-graders.

In addition, a handful of students receive $5 in “Chamber bucks” each day for good behavior. The bucks can be spent at any business that belongs to the Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce. Newton Learning, the company that supplies all the summer school lessons and supplies, pays for some of the incentives.

Money aside, other aspects of summer school draw students into the program.

“This is a pretty good service that the district provides,” Piepers said. “Parents know that if they send their children here, they’re safe and will have a good experience.”

The free program, which is open to students outside the Smithville district, is for all students, not just those who are behind or looking to get ahead.

Compared to the regular school year, summer school puts a fun, more relaxed spin on learning. Summer school mornings are spent focusing on core subjects. Afternoons means adventure time, where learning is fun.

Middle school teacher Susan Medley said summer school definitely has its benefits.

“You don’t have the state curriculum to stress about in the summer as you do in the regular year,” she said. “You can focus more on what the kids’ needs are. If someone needs more time on something, you can give them that time.”

Fun twists on math in her summer classroom include a card game similar to spades that teaches students to order fractions from smallest to largest and a Lego activity called “Imagineering” that teaches students about inclined planes, pulleys and engineering in general.

Students use the word “fun” to describe summer school.

And when you consider soon-to-be fifth-grader Spencer Busch’s No. 1 fun factor, you can see why.

“I really like summer school because I don’t ever have any homework,” he said.

Smithville Editor Nancy Hull Rigdon can be reached at 532-4444 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .