Jefferson County School District 509J is heading into summer with good news: the district has been awarded a competitive three-year summer learning grant from the Oregon Department of Education worth approximately $478,860 per year — or roughly $1.4 million over the life of the grant.

One of Two Regional Recipients

The district was one of only two in its region to receive the highly competitive grant, which is designed to help districts sustain meaningful summer academic programming without placing the cost burden on families. The funding allows 509J to offer summer learning at no charge to students.

Where and When

This summer's program will run Monday through Thursday from July 20 through August 6 at three sites: Bridges High School, Madras Elementary School, and Madras High School. The program serves students in grades K-12, with a projected enrollment of more than 500 students.

Warm Springs K-8 Academy, which has historically been a program site, will be unavailable this year due to an ongoing major construction project. Students from that school will be transported to Madras Elementary to participate.

What Students Will Do

The program blends academic reinforcement with hands-on learning opportunities. Focus areas include:

  • English language arts and reading
  • Mathematics
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) projects
  • Activities designed to maintain academic skills and prevent learning loss over the summer

Transportation will be provided for students who need it, and meals will be served to all participants throughout the program.

What the Superintendent Says

"This competitive funding allows our district to continue to invest in a meaningful and robust summer program that offers additional support to students across all grade levels. We are thankful to receive this funding which allows us to offer these programs that support our students' growth and ensure they flourish here." — Superintendent Jay Mathisen

Jefferson County School District 509J serves approximately 2,650 students across Jefferson County. The summer acceleration grant adds to several recent investments in the district, including earlier literacy funding that supported third through fifth grade students across 48 Oregon districts.

Families interested in enrolling their students in the summer program should contact the district for registration information and transportation details.