A recommendation to offer free remedial summer school classes will be considered next week by the Butler Area School District board of directors.

At Monday's board meeting, Superintendent Brian White said he is recommending offering free summer school classes to students who failed a class this year by using federal stimulus money to cover the cost.

A motion to enact the proposal will be on the agenda of the April 19 board meeting, he said.

Summer school costs $100 for the three-week session and $200 for the six-week session.

Normally, 25-30 students enroll in summer school. But White said eliminating the cost could cause that number to double or triple.

In other matters, White said the district would have to close a school if COVID-19 cases arise because the county is in the substantial community transmission level.

The state departments of health and education recommend closing a school for two to three days if two to four students or staff members in that building contract the virus in a county in the substantial transmission level.

In an effort to reduce expenses next year, White said the district will send about 300 letters next week to parents of district students enrolled in cyber charter schools, inviting them to return their children to the regular school program for the 2021-22 school year.

He said cyber charter schools are a big expense for the district. Cyber charter schools receive most of their funding from their students' home school districts.

The district will save about $180,000 over the five-year term of a new copier machine contract with Ford Business Machines, which submitted the lowest of six bids.

Ford's bid of $206,205 a year for five years is a total of about $180,000 less than it's existing five-year contract with the district, White said.

The five other bids ranged from $230,820 to $290,822.