Clinton Primary School students follow a teacher’s brightly-colored umbrella to the playground on the final day of classes for the 2020-2021 school year. – Ken McLemore/Hope Public Schools

Ken McLemore

HOPE – Classes for the 2020-2021 academic year in the Hope Public Schools ended May 27, and the transition to summer now begins.

Summer hours for the HPS administration and all campus offices began the week of May 31. Office hours will be extended one hour daily Monday through Thursday, but all offices will be closed on Friday from June 4 until July 29.

Bobcat Clinic

Summer hours for the Bobcat Clinic on the Hope High School campus have also been set for the summer from 8-11 a.m. and 11:30-4:30 p.m. through June 30. The clinic will not have a physical health practitioner available June 10-11 and June 14-18. However, COVID-19 testing and immunizations will still be available on those dates, according to Bobcat Clinic Director Gretchen Carlton.

“Physical health services will not be available during the month of July,” Carlton said. “They will resume Aug 2. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 870-722-2733, option 2.”

Virtual Academy

Applications for the Hope from Home Virtual Academy are currently available on the HPS district website and at https://www.hpsdistrict.org/page/hope-virtual-academy 

and must be completed by July 16.

Enrollment in online instruction in the Hope Public Schools will become application-based in the 2021-2022 academic year under a policy adopted by the HPS Board of Education in April.

The plan calls for applications for grades K-4 and grades 5-12, and limits the number of times a student may opt out of on-site instruction. The program also requires a parental monitoring agreement and a specific requirement that all students be on-site for state mandated standardized testing.

Summer RISE at HHS

The Hope High School Summer RISE Program will be conducted in two sessions this summer, beginning June 7-24, and again July 5-22, on Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The program, including math and literacy boot camp, study skills/test-taking strategies, social/emotional learning, ACT preparation, and motivational guest speakers is free to HHS students. Transportation will be provided and breakfast and lunch will be served at no cost to the student. Contact Tisha Hunter at 777-3451, ext. 611, for additional information.

Summer meals

The summer meals program of the Hope Public Schools will begin June 7 at three of the HPS campuses. Meals are provided free for children who reside in Hempstead County and are under age 18.

Schedules for meal pick-up are as follows:

Yerger Middle School bus line – June 7 – Aug. 6, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 12 noon.

Hope High School cafeteria – June 7 – 24, July 5 – 22, Monday through Thursday, 11:45 a.m.

Clinton Primary School cafeteria – June 7 – July 2, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.