Vice principal Phil Gills hands out paper slips informing several underachievers that they must attend summer school for remedial English.

Among the students are easily distracted Pam House; "nocturnal" Larry Kazamias, a male stripper; football jock Kevin Winchester; pregnant Rhonda Altobello; geeky Alan Eakian; dyslexic Denise Green; intimidating Jerome Watkins; and two horror film-obsessed underachievers, Dave Frazier and Francis Gremp, a.k.a.

Rather than studying, he and the students spend their first few days having fun going to the beach, a theme park, and a petting zoo until Alan's grandmother finds out when he gets an allergy and tells Gills.

The kids agree, so he gives Denise driving lessons, accompanies Rhonda to Lamaze classes, gives Kevin football lessons, allows Dave and Chainsaw to throw a party in his house and gives them rides to school, gives Larry a bed in the classroom, lets Chainsaw arrange a screening of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in class and allows Pam to move in with him.

The students make more demands on Shoop after he tells them they need to take a test so he throws an English book against the chalkboard and, after listing his sacrifices to grant their favors, quits his job in anger.

His students start feeling guilty, and scare off Shoop's dull replacement with a scene reminiscent of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Due to each of the students' marked improvement, Principal Kelban grants Shoop tenure for his positive efforts despite Gills' objections.

The Summer School soundtrack, on Chrysalis, consists of 1980s rock and dance songs with performers including Paul Engemann, Blondie, E. G. Daily, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Vinnie Vincent, Billy Burnette, and Elisa Fiorillo.

Some songs that appear in the film, including James Brown's, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and Eddie Murphy's "Party All the Time", do not appear on the soundtrack.

[6] Shout Factory released a Blu-ray, including the 2007 bonus features and adding a discussion with Richard Steven Horvitz, on Feb 8, 2022.

[7] Along with the special edition DVD release commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Summer School, many of the original cast were present for a reunion party.