Year-Round Plan Delayed for School in Valencia

Bowing to pressure from angry parents, the Newhall School Board voted Monday night to delay for at least two years the start of year-round schooling at one elementary school in the fast-growing district.

The trustees originally voted May 8 to start year-round schooling at Meadows Elementary School in Valencia in June, 1990. At the time, district officials said other schools would be switched to a year-round schedule as necessary to accommodate growing enrollments.

But Monday night the trustees voted 3 to 2 to delay the change at least until July, 1992, to study other ways to cope with added enrollment.

About 100 parents attended the meeting. Several speakers said year-round schedules would disrupt children’s friendships and make family vacations impossible.

Under year-round scheduling, traditional summer vacations are eliminated and vacation periods occur throughout the year. Students often are divided into three or four “tracks” that attend class on a rotating basis, with one group on vacation while the others are in school.

Several parents said the school district did not adequately inform parents about the impact of year-round schools or the process by which the year-round plan was developed.

“Parents very strongly feel they were not involved in the process,” said Brian Drygas of Valencia.

School Supt. Mike McGrath said the decision to delay year-round schooling in the district will hurt its chance of obtaining construction funds from the state for new schools. School districts using year-round schedules are given a high priority in financing formulas used by state officials to dole out construction funds. Only districts with schools damaged in fires, earthquakes or other disasters receive a higher priority, McGrath said.

The district has 31 temporary classrooms--structures similar to large trailers--on its six campuses. Without year-round schedules, the district will have to install 16 more, McGrath said. He added that many parents also complain about the temporary classrooms.