More than a third of the student body at George Mason High School are enrolled in the school’s Summer Hybrid Learning Academy, the majority of which are there voluntarily, according to Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS). 250 of George Mason’s 733 students are enrolled in summer school and 140 of the students enrolled in summer school are there to get ahead in their studies.

“A rough estimate of students taking new credit as opposed to credit recovery would be 75% new credit compared to 25% credit recovery and SOL Remediation,” George Mason’s assistant principal Matt Hills told FCCPS. “The new credit numbers are relatively high this year because 140 of our 250 students are enrolled in Personal Finance/Economics class.”

In response to the global financial crisis of 2008, Virginia students are required to take a personal finance/economics class so they graduate with practical financial skills. But the requirement meant the loss of an elective during the academic year, so many George Mason students are electing to take the mandatory course during the summer to make space in their schedules for electives during the year.