The height requirement for the Star Speed roller coaster is 54 inches. Even after growing 3 inches since last summer, Dakota is too short to ride.

Dakota's current height is 57 inches.

To determine Dakota's current height, we need to add the growth of 3 inches to their height last summer. Let's calculate:

Dakota's height last summer + Growth = Current height

Let's assume Dakota's height last summer was X inches.

X inches + 3 inches = Current height

Therefore, Dakota's current height is X + 3 inches.

To determine if Dakota can ride the Star Speed roller coaster, we compare their current height to the height requirement of 54 inches:

Current height >= 54 inches

If Dakota's current height is greater than or equal to 54 inches, then they are tall enough to ride the roller coaster. However, if their current height is less than 54 inches, they are still too short to ride.

To determine whether Dakota is tall enough to ride the Star Speed roller coaster, follow these steps:

1. Determine Dakota's current height: Dakota has grown 3 inches since last summer, so we need to add 3 inches to Dakota's height at that time.

2. Calculate Dakota's height last summer: If Dakota's current height is unknown, we can subtract 3 inches from their current height to estimate their height last summer.

3. Compare Dakota's height to the height requirement: The height requirement for the Star Speed roller coaster is 54 inches. Compare Dakota's current or estimated height from last summer to this requirement to determine if they are tall enough to ride.

In this specific scenario, it is mentioned that Dakota, even after growing 3 inches since last summer, is still too short to ride the roller coaster.