COVINGTON, Ky. — As schools across the Tri-State prepare to head back to the classroom, some for the first time in over a year, some are taking steps to address what's being called the COVID slide.
The COVID slide is a lot like the summer slide or summer slump, but instead of getting over it in a few weeks, some say it could take years to overcome. That's why Covington Independent Public Schools are taking extra steps to help their students succeed and are well taken care of.
"The worst-case scenario for us is that students wouldn’t be getting their basic needs met on a regular basis," Director of Community and Family Engagement Stacie Strotman said. "Some students may not be safe, some students may not be fed, and some students just aren’t getting the academic support that they need.”
One way the district helped its students is through a program called Camp Covington. The program offers academic support and physical activities for students over the summer months and normally has between 550 and 600 attendants. This past summer, though, there were over a thousand students, according to Strotman.
The lessons taught at Camp Covington also came with social and emotional support in the form of counseling.
"Our students live in some challenging circumstances, so we knew coming back to school would be difficult for them,” Strotman said.
The district's students are susceptible to learning loss when class is not in session, according to Strotman, but the district hopes to put its students in a class of their own.
"We really need to meet students where they’re at now more than ever,” Strotman said.
Covington Independent Public Schools go back to full-time in-person learning on Aug. 19.
