Cleveland Hill students studying online this summer might want to look up the proverb “Necessity is the mother of invention,” then take a look around their classroom.

After its partner district in summer school didn’t have money for the program this year, Cleve Hill decided to go it alone by offering an independent computer learning program.

“I’m excited to see if the kids like doing this better than the traditional summer school,” said Mary C. Pauly, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Cleve Hill.

Many suburban students will travel to other districts this summer to retake courses they failed as budget cuts have forced elimination of some summer school programs.

Other students will go to their own school to work at their own pace at an online program in a computer lab.

At Depew, high schoolers who used to sit through a traditional summer school class will use another program with online resources after money for summer school was slashed from a bleeding budget.

And at Lockport and Tonawanda city schools, seniors who need a course to finish graduation requirements can take a summer computer program, after their long-standing summer school programs were canceled.

“In a time of fiscal crisis, we didn’t feel the community could continue to offer summer school and pay for it,” said Lockport Superintendent Terry Carbone.

Some of the computer programs are small and offered to a limited number of students, such as seniors who need to pass a course to graduate.

Others who still want summer school must go for courses at another district, where fees can range from $175 to $260 per course. Many programs start Tuesday or Wednesday, while others begin the following week.

Cleve Hill and Depew had contracted with Erie 1 BOCES for a joint summer school for a number of years, until Depew dropped summer school to save money in this year’s budget.

“We drastically cut everything,” said Heidi Salva, Depew’s director of instructional services.

Last year, there were 427 students in the program, which included nearly 80 from nearby Maryvale there on a trial basis, said Debra L. Randall, director of secondary programs for Erie 1 BOCES. The cancellation of the program signals a loss to students of a different kind: many educators seeking their administrative certification interned at the summer school over the years, Randall said.

Cleve Hill will offer English, math, science and social studies, to about 100 middle and high schoolers. Each student will be able to concentrate on his or her own weaknesses, and a certified teacher will be in the room for assistance.

There probably are fewer students registered this year than last year, Pauly said, and it probably will cost about $10,000 to $15,000 less than contracting with BOCES. The program is tied to New York State standards and allows students to proceed at their own pace, she said.

“It seemed to be a program that might motivate kids,” she said.

At Depew, teachers helped draft online resources for a “credit recovery” program to help students who failed a course. The program is geared toward about 50 students identified by teachers.

“They would focus on those areas where they are weak. It’s individually organized based on individual needs,” Salva said.

The 50 to 100 other students who would attend the summer school will have to go to other schools, she said.

Tonawanda City School District guidance counselors are suggesting most students needing summer school attend the program at Grand Island.

But seniors who need a course to graduate are being offered a computer-based program in Tonawanda.

There is no similar alternative for elementary students.

“What they’re missing would be the extra weeks of math and reading that we would be doing with our students,” Assistant Tonawanda Superintendent Mary Beth Genovese-Scullion said of younger students.

She said some may have the support and help of their parents in reviewing over the summer, but they are missing the support of a certified teacher.

“There’s pros and cons to summer school. We’re going to really look at our students when they come back in the fall,” she added.

Orleans/Niagara BOCES offers summer school at Niagara Falls and Medina high schools, said Mickey Edwards, coordinator of instruction and curriculum. He said most of the BOCES’ 13 component districts will take part in it.