Junior High Pupils Offered Remedial Summer Classes

For the first time in more than 10 years, the Glendale Unified School District is offering a remedial summer school program for junior high school students, district officials said this week.

Classes started Monday in a six-week program for about 500 seventh- and eighth-grade students who are failing or in danger of failing English, math or science classes, said Jim McGlashen, district director of testing, evaluation and career education.

Since 1978, when Proposition 13 slashed state funds allotted to school districts, summer remedial classes have only been offered to high school students in Glendale schools.

But this year, anticipating that the 1988-89 budget expected be signed by Gov. George Deukmejian this summer will include a 2% increase in the amount of state money provided for such programs, administrators approved expanding the classes to the junior high school level.

“There’s been a dire need for many years to help youngsters who had difficulty in their first two years of junior high,” McGlashen said. “It’s been a real sore spot for a lot of people that we’ve been unable to help these kids out for so long.”

The school district is spending $80,000 to expand the program, which last year served about 1,500 high school students and cost $100,000, officials said.