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Show Year-round School Debated THE DISTRICT could be one of three in the state to receive re-ceive funding from the legislature legisla-ture to support further studies. It is likely it would be included, as one of the state's fastest growing. Enrollment grew by -more than a thousand, based on current reports. Other possible districts that could receive such funding would be Alpine, in north Utah County and often termed the state's fastest growing, and Jordan, now the state's 2nd largest district with probably the largest numerical increase annually. THE DEBATE drew about 25 and was held in the auditorium auditor-ium of the Davis County Library Lib-rary North Branch. By TOM BLSSELBERG CLEARFIELD Year-round Year-round schools would save no more than four to five percent in tax dollars, a north Davis League of Women Voters group was told, last week, but that could aid in building communication com-munication and trust between the schools and patrons. HA RLE Y HUNT, Clearifled Community Church pastor and former Clearfield city councilman, spoke for the "pro" side in the debate while Dee Burningham, former teacher and now Davis Education Educa-tion Assoc. executive secretary, secret-ary, addressed the "con". Emphasizing he wasn't speaking for the DEA, Mr. Burningham said "I would like to suggest there are better ways" to save money, a key point, he said, behind studying year-round schools. HE SAID schools cannot operate op-erate at lower costs, as in the past, unless people want to return re-turn to letting the handicapped stay locked in closets and give up the demand created by private pri-vate enterprise where schools act as trainers in vocational education areas. "Twenty-five years ago they tauted this as a way to save money around the country. coun-try. Then it died out. Now I would sav it's being rejuvin-ated rejuvin-ated by politicians who don't know education or they wouldn't propose that as a means to save money. HE CITED air conditioning costs, alone, that could add up to $4 million nearly enough for two elementary schools if implemented district-wide, but said only certain areas in Davis County the north, for now, would probably need such a program. Noting Stoker Elementary School was closed in Bountiful, Bounti-ful, with room probably to close another school, he said only certain areas could effectively effec-tively implement it, with the secondary schools enrollment currently not a corner. SAVINGS wouldn't accrue so much to residents in the county but more to large industrial in-dustrial taxpayers, in Salt Lake City, primarily, where their school district doesn't need additional schools. They would like to stop subsidizing Davis and other growth-areas through payment into taxes that go for the state's uniform school fund, Mr. Burningham said. Calling transportation problems prob-lems caused by year-round schools "the biggest bugaboo" buga-boo" he said increasing a school's enrollment capacity from say 600 to 800 by greater building use would mean having hav-ing to transport more students. He called a statement noting transportation bills would be sufficient to pay for a new school in six-eight years high but said that even after 40-50 years, "that'i really not an old school. If we could've built a new building with the transportation trans-portation costs, would it be wise?" IN ADDITION, although "it may go against the grain," the current practice of bonding (borrowing) funds for school construction benefits school systems because they can borrow bor-row tax-free at an interest rate of eight or nine percent, saving money over waiting until rates are higher or having no such tax benefit. Mr. Hunt said previous statistics sta-tistics citing on air conditioning condition-ing costs reflect refrigerated systems that are far more costly cost-ly than the "swamp cooler" method possible in Utah. But more than just cost must be considered, he emphasized. "AS I SAID a year-and-a-half ago, there's a gap between the school and the administration and communication with the community. It would force (year-round schools) tremendous tremen-dous amounts of discussion with the faculty, parents, administration, etc. Other wise it would die. There's no way it can work without a tremendous amount of community understanding," understand-ing," he continued, noting such trust must exist for the school district to set new boundaries a constant necessity neces-sity to save money and create maximum efficiency. "THE QUALITY of education educa-tion is really the issue and down to the best way we can get that. Most studies indicate there's not a significant increase in-crease or decrease in testing (abilities)." He said districts on the plan reported either no increase or a lowering in the dropout rate, however, with year-round schools. A PARENT who formerly lived in a fast-growing Virginia school district related "big problems" with the program there, during a discussion period, indicating teachers were in favor because they could increase salaries. But Mr. Burningham said that conversely, con-versely, some teachers must rely on outside summer income in-come "to make ends meet" that wouldn't be possible by teaching year-round. A Bountiful man spoke in favor of such a plan, noting the "quality of education" could be aided by allowing capable students the chance to attend school for longer periods. AND MARY Ellen Leath-am, Leath-am, a teacher at Central Davis Junior High, said some programs prog-rams allow students to attend school "as much as they want" and also said teachers had reported less "burnout". The board of education has received some information on year-round schools with additional addi-tional data currently being gathered. No serious consideration consider-ation has been made to implementing im-plementing such a plan, however. |
