Cyndi Loza

A shift toward online courses and a lack of transportation may be the driving force behind the drop in summer school enrollment this year, according to school district officials.

As of last week, there are about 2,917 high school students enrolled in Washoe County School District summer courses, dropping from 4,005 students last year. Enrollment for middle school students dropped from 401 last summer to 121.

Though summer registration is still open, about 10 classes were canceled because of the low enrollment, said Barbara Creveling, the school district’s supplemental credit coordinator.

Creveling said the drop in high school summer school enrollment is due to a large number of students switching to the school district’s online program, Washoe Online Learning for the Future. More classes were made available this summer to offer students in grades 8-12 more flexibility, she said.

“I think the main benefit of an online course is the flexibility,” said Meg Martin, a spokeswomen for WOLF. “You can take it where you want, when you want, with your own equipment at your own pace.”

Transportation may discourage middle school students from attending summer school this year, said Michele Collins, the school district’s senior director for middle schools.

This year only half of the middle schools offered summer courses at their site.

“If a child cannot walk or ride their bike to and from the school it becomes difficult for some parents to provide transportation,” said Collins, adding the school district offers no transportations for students in the summer.

She also added summer classes need to be provided at no cost.

“We need to fund summer school so children and families don’t pay for summer school and we need to provide transportation so that children are able to attend,” Collins said.