Fayetteville Public Schools outlines expanded summer programs, child-nutrition sites and early ATLAS results

District academic leaders presented a package of summer learning options and preliminary assessment data at the May 28 Fayetteville Board meeting.

Dr. Jacob Hayward described 2026 summer programming designed to reduce "summer slide" while expanding student choice. Offerings include enrichment "learning expeditions" for rising grades 4–8 (themes such as performing arts and entrepreneurship), original-credit high‑school courses (economics, health, civics, PE and an introductory computer science offering), Camp Excel targeted at third graders at risk of retention, kindergarten readiness sessions and ACT/PSAT boot camps. Hayward said cohorts will run one day a month September–February for the FPS Academy (a separate parent/patron program) and that applications opened the night of the meeting.

Hayward reported enrollment figures for June programming exceed targets: "Our goal was to get 200, 225 students for the entire month of June, and we've been able to exceed that. We're currently sitting about 238 kids," he said.

Child Nutrition staff explained meal service for the summer: school kitchens will feed additional site-based programs at Owl Creek, Ramey and other locations, and the district will operate three food-truck sites (American Legion, YRCC and Saint James Missionary Baptist Church). Staff said enrichment fees exist for some programs (camp $125 for non-employee families; $75 for employee families; $0 for families meeting free-and-reduced thresholds) and noted a nearly $10,000 grant was awarded to support summer expansion.

District assessment staff presented preliminary ATLAS test results. Dr. Dugan said schools are already using scores for instructional planning; the system allows parents to log in and view results and, at the time of the presentation, the district had about 99% of tests complete with roughly 15% of writing responses set aside for hand scoring. On ATLAS, levels 3 and 4 constitute the state’s on‑grade measure; Dugan said ELA shows more than 50% of students at levels 3–4 in every grade and level‑1 students are under 25% across grades. Board members noted about 13 third graders remained at risk of retention and emphasized targeted interventions and the summer Camp Excel program designed to address that gap.

Board members thanked staff for the expanded programming and transparency on fees and access. No action was required beyond the informational presentation; budget and policy items related to summer programming were handled elsewhere on the agenda.