Oswego School District 308 parents claim summer remedial program targets all minority students, regardless of performance

Some parents in southwest suburban Oswego are fired up, saying the school district invited all non-white students to participate in summer remedial programming, regardless of how they're doing in school.

An internal document from Oswego Community Unit School District 308 confirmed those concerns.

The district's Summer Connections program is meant to help students. According to the letter that went out to parents, selection is based on assessment scores, interventions, and special learning by program needs.

But Fil Torres' daughter is in advanced classes, so once he and his wife put together why both of their children were invited, he started pushing the district for answers. 

At the end of March, District 308 sent some parents a selection and invitation for students to participate in the Summer Connections program.

"It's a fancy title, a feel-good title, but what it is realistically is summer school remediation," Torres said.

His daughter is in advanced classes at Hunt Club Elementary School. He said they were just told they didn't need to schedule a parent teacher conference since both of their daughters are on track, so the invite was concerning and made no sense. 

"My wife had reached out to some of our close friends in our neighborhood, and asked, 'Hey, did you get this email?' And they said no, they had no idea what she was talking about. The only difference between our friends and us is they are white. And so, my wife reached out to some of our friends that were minorities, and they said they got the email," Torres said.

The Torres family immediately reached out to the district for clarification and transparency. Why were their kids being asked to participate?

A partial internal document the CBS News Chicago Investigators received via a source revealed the answer – "eligible" and "at risk" students include "anyone with a race other than white." 

Torres grew emotional learning about that document.

"That hurts," he said. "I fight for my kids, and I fight against stereotypes. I have three degrees myself. I'm the first in my family to graduate college. And for them to do this? It opens up old wounds, and it hurts that if that's what they use, that anybody who is non-white is at risk."

In the days following the invitation, parents received both a clarification email from the district and an update, both detailing the invitation aligned with "federal Title I guidelines" and all students with "various 'tags'" received an invite, including Torres' 3rd grade daughter.

"For her to have to overcome from her own school district a label, just because her last name may be Torres, or her skin may not be white is … it's traumatic," Torres said.

The district's and the school board's response to concerns from parents and direct quotes from the internal memo again heavily quoted Title I.

Nothing in their response specifically addressed the "anyone with a race other than white" verbiage, instead listing students in special programming, academically at-risk, experiencing homelessness, and students "who are part of a historically disadvantaged racial/ethnic group." 

On the district's website, a statement acknowledged "some of the language used in the invitation process may not have been clearly explained, and we understand how that may have caused confusion or concern."

In a statement District 308 Superintendent Andalib Khelghati said, in part, "We don't believe that labels define who students are, their achievements, or their abilities. However, our academic data shows there is an opportunity gap amongst our students within specific subgroups in our district."

Torres said he doesn't know how the district can make amends.

"I don't know if a sorry in education speak around the problem is going to solve it," he said.

Parents have also brought up concerns about limited space in these summer programs, hopeful the kids who truly need the academic support can still get it.

No one from the district wanted to talk on camera about the issue.

Full response from District 308:

Summer Connections is a federally funded summer program free for students in Oswego Community Unit School District 308, from kindergarten through 7th grade. Students are invited to participate in this optional summer program to strengthen their reading and math skills, as well as build social-emotional skills. The registration for the program filled quickly, with a large waiting list. 

It is also important to note that the students registered for Summer Connections reflect the diverse racial makeup of our district; every race represented in SD 308 is represented in this program. The invitation criteria were not designed to exclude any group, but to ensure that students facing documented barriers to opportunity had access to this targeted support.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, "Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA) provides supplemental financial assistance to school districts for children from low-income families." The goal of Title I is to provide all students with the opportunity to receive "a fair, equitable, and high-quality education."

Further, according to the U.S. Department of Education, "Title I of the ESEA supplements State and local funding for low-achieving children, especially in high-poverty schools." Within the law, disadvantaged students are defined as those students who are English learners, minorities, students with disabilities, homeless children and youth, children and youth in foster care, and migrant students. 

Who received the invitation to participate in Summer Connections:

• Students who have an IEP or 504 plan
• Students in the English Learners Program
• Students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program
• All students attending a Schoolwide Title 1 School (Boulder Hill and Long Beach Elementary, and Plank Junior High)
• Students academically at-risk (as identified by a teacher or administrator)
• Students who are part of a historically disadvantaged racial/ethnic group (students whose families self-identify their race as Black or African American, Hispanic, Asian, American-Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern or North African, or 2 or more races)
• Students experiencing homelessness or who are in foster care

Based on public education funding challenges, we are limited to offering supplemental programs based on the characteristics of available funding sources. The grant used for Summer Connections requires that the program target disadvantaged students. The district utilized the same parameters that the U.S. Department of Education uses to designate Title I-funded schools. 

"We don't believe that labels define who students are, their achievements, or their abilities. However, our academic data shows there is an opportunity gap amongst our students within specific subgroups in our district. These subgroups align with those designated by Title I, including economically disadvantaged, historically underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, students with specialized learning plans, and those learning the English language. We are so proud of the success of our students both inside the classroom and beyond." 

     - Dr. Andalib Khelghati, Superintendent of Schools

The district published information in the Clarity Corner of its website to explain how the invitation list was compiled within hours of the invitation being sent.