The Bryan ISD administration building in March. (Karley Cross/Community Impact) (Karley Cross/ Community Impact)
Bryan ISD officials are restructuring summer learning programs this year, consolidating campuses and adjusting staffing to improve efficiency while continuing to support students academically.
What’s happening
District administrators presented the updated summer programming plan to the school board at its March 23 meeting, outlining changes to the 2026 summer session.
Barbara Ybarra, the district’s associate superintendent of teaching and learning, said the district looked at past summer services to figure out how programs could operate more efficiently while still meeting student needs.
“Like good stewards of taxpayer dollars, every year we look at the model that we’re utilizing and we look and see, ‘how can we ensure the best efficiency and the best service to our students?’” Ybarra said.
The specifics
One of the most noticeable changes is the consolidation of elementary summer school sites.
Elementary summer programming will move from six campuses to two: Bonham and Mary Branch elementary schools.
District officials said the adjustment allows staff and resources to be concentrated while reducing operational and transportation costs.
Director of Talent Development Shannon McGehee told trustees that transportation routes will also change to support the new model. Rather than buses traveling across the entire district, Bryan ISD will split transportation service areas roughly in half.
Although district officials are still working to finalize the summer bus routes, McGehee said the goal is to try not to have buses going back and forth across the district.
About the program
Summer programming will continue to serve students from prekindergarten through high school, though several programs will operate with modified staffing structures.
Special programs include:
Bilingual Pre-K Enrichment at Kemp-Carver Elementary School, focused on English language development and early literacy
Extended School Year services for eligible students to prevent skill regression during the summer months
Bryan ISD will offer summer programming to serve students from prekindergarten through high school. (Courtesy Bryan ISD)
For kindergarten through eighth-grade students, general summer school remains available with adjusted leadership roles:
Intermediate campuses will transition from two facilitators to one.
Middle school summer programs at Davila Middle School will be overseen by associate principals as part of their existing contracts, eliminating the need to hire additional summer administrators.
Some Bryan ISD summer school programs will operate with modified staffing structures in 2026. (Courtesy Bryan ISD)
“Our associate principals at the middle school that oversees our discipline aspect. ... They’re going to serve as the facilitators for middle school, and it’s within their contracts,” McGehee said.
Ybarra said these changes allow the district to use existing personnel while continuing to serve students during the summer session.
At the secondary level, summer offerings continue to emphasize helping students stay on track for graduation.
Programs include:
End-of-course acceleration at Bryan High School for students preparing to take state exams
Credit recovery, offered at no cost, for students who need to repeat coursework
Credit advancement, which allows students to earn additional credits toward graduation
Bryan ISD will offer end-of-course acceleration at Bryan High School for students preparing to take state exams. (Courtesy Bryan ISD)
Items worth mentioning
Credit advancement will cost $100 per half credit, with a reduced $50 rate available for students receiving free or reduced lunches and dependents of district employees. This is a practice other Texas school districts use, McGehee said, and one Bryan ISD used prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan ISD will offer an On Track for Graduation program this summer. (Courtesy Bryan ISD)
The district also reduced facilitators for credit recovery and advancement programs from two positions to one.
Administrators said aligning summer program schedules across campuses will allow students to participate in multiple academic opportunities during the same session.
Before you go
Summer programs will run June 1-25, Monday through Thursday. Schedules vary by program and grade level.
In addition to summer programming discussions, trustees recognized campus staff and student achievements, reviewed early budget development information and approved several action items, including continued substitute staffing services and contracts for a rebuild and two renovated high school campuses.
