Oswego School District 308 officials are denying claims that its summer remediation program is geared toward students of certain racial demographics.

A parent had voiced concerns that the district invited all non-white students to participate in its Summer Connections program, regardless of how they’re doing in school.

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

Summer Connections is a federally funded summer program free for students in Oswego Community Unit School District 308, from kindergarten through 7th grade, district officials said.

Students are invited to participate in the program to strengthen their reading and math skills, as well as build social-emotional skills.

“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,” Khelghati said. “We are so proud of the success of our students both inside the classroom and beyond.”

District 308 officials said the students registered for Summer Connections reflect the diverse racial makeup of the district and that every race represented in the school district 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,” officials said.

According to the district, these are the students who received an invitation to participate in the Summer Connections program:

• 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 district said. “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.”