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Show Public sentiment varies on solutions for schools A meeting that began with formal reports from seven special task forces dealing with energy-related impact on the area schools ended in some confusion confu-sion Thursday night at the Vernal Jr. High School. ' The public hearing was to gain public input into some of the growth problems the schools will face, but it became apparent ap-parent early in the meeting that community com-munity members wanted answers more than anything else. "Let's get to the point," several audience au-dience members voiced after task force reports began. "Are we going to year-round year-round schools, split sessions or what?" Superintendent Phillip Ellis explained, explain-ed, "We're not here to give you a yes or no tonight."- Earlier in the meeting he said, "There could have been a number of ways to approach this, but we chose to involve the community in the planning plann-ing process to come up with the best possible solutions." Ellis had also pointed out the growth problems the school is facing. According Accor-ding to predictions provided by statewide state-wide planners concerning energy im pact on the area, there will be 1,256 additional ad-ditional students in the Ashley Valley by 1983. By 1985 there will be 1,883 additional addi-tional students. Task forces that have been studying the situation for the past several months mon-ths were asked to make presentations in seven areas: staff retention and recruitment, higher education and vocational education, finance, public involvement and public awareness, curriculum, special student needs and options to building. (continued on page 2) School task forces - - - (Continued from Page 1) Elouise Turner, school board president, presi-dent, explained that not all task force reports would be acted upon at this lime but that immediate needs would be considered con-sidered first. "The Hoard of Education is delighted to have these reports." she said, "and if new things come out of this meeting, they will be added to the reports." As part of Court Anderson's report on staff retention and recruitment, he made a slide presentation pointing out the area's valuable resources, the most important being the area's children. The point was also made that the key to quality education is the teacher. Included in the slides was a break down of a first year teacher's take home pay showing rent, groceries, utilities, etc. When every thing was considered con-sidered the teacher ended up in the red each month. Anderson noted that Vernal now has the highest cost of living in the state and the district's salary schedule is the seventh lowest in the state. "We sent a survey to 170 teachers who have left the district in the past," he said. About 72 percent of them gave as their reason for leaving too low salary so that they had to seek other work. First, we need to recognize the problem. The task force's recommendation is that the salary be in the top five in three years and be the top salary within five years. Thirty-one recommendations were arrived at by the task force on special student needs. Terri Flint pointed out in her report that the community is changing chang-ing and "that will change the people in our schools." She sees three things happening hap-pening as the community changes; a sense of loss is felt, a change of values is taking place and everyone is feeling more stress. Six of the recommendations were discussed, 1) to obtain a greater number of counselors, 2) to offer regular, quality in-service to teachers, 3) to provide alternate resources, 4) to emphasize "reality" schools, teaching students survival skills in order to contribute con-tribute to the community, 5) to support community coalitions, and 6) to add "new student" programs to help students who move into the school system. Community members commented that gifted programs were also needed. One man stated, "Discipline is the root of all of these problems. Parents need to back the teachers at home." A local businessman commented on the dropout problem saying, "I've hired dropouts, and their biggest problem is there's no motivation at home." Another man ended the discussion with his feelings that " school is lo educate students, not solve all nl their personal problems." Other areas were briefly reporled in order to move on to the problem at hand, options lo building or the division lo go to year-round schools or double sessions. Confusion began w ith much of Ihe audience au-dience not understanding the year-round year-round plan called Concept t. Stan Anderson, heading the task force, explained ex-plained the six unit system that allows for a 43-day vacation twice a year w ith 86 day semesters Three different tracks are offered with two-thirds of the school population in the buildings at a time. "We're seriously overcrowded." Anderson said, "and the system suffers because of it. Our committee unanimously recommends ,i year-round year-round school." Those attending voiced concerns and asked questions pertaining lo vacations at different times of the year, and how it would affect students who are needed at home in the summer for agricultural or construction jobs. Superintendent Ellis assured everyone that students from one family would be on the same track on Concept 6. "We're operating on the principle that will keep families together," he said. A concern voiced by a man was that students on vacation in the winter would be a burden to tlieir mothers while another woman said that she needed her kids working in the garden in the summer. Others voiced the opinion opi-nion that they and their children would prefer double sessions, with some students going to school from 7 a m until un-til 1 p.m. and some attending from 1 to 6 p.m. Teachers' opinions were expressed both for and against the year-round schools. Mrs. Lynn Komney, a science teacher at Vernal Jr. High, used an overhead projector lo show the disadvantages disad-vantages of double sessions. She and a group of junior high teachers had developed a chart to show the problems with family time, staff time, inappropriate inap-propriate facilities and community problems pro-blems involved in double sessions. "Year-round schools would help new move ins, enrichment programs could be offered to out students, and teachers and students would come back fresher from the needed breaks it provides," she said Paul Tingey, a COKE teacher at the junior high, took another viewpoint on Ihe growth situation in backing the dou- ble session option. He urged the school board to consider the loss of teachers who have summer jobs. People also spoke in behalf of year-round year-round schools who had lived in such as the Jefferson County school district that had gone to Concept 6 in Colorado. Further questions were asked as to how soon whatever is implemented can begin, w hether or not mobile units are a possible solution and whether or not students would be asked for input on the subject. "Our committee is not selling anything." Anderson said "We've studied the situation extensively and we did not arrive at our decisions emotionally. emo-tionally. We reaped most of our information infor-mation from other districts that have survived impact situations " A vote by show of hands was taken at the meeting resulting in 116 for vear-round vear-round schools. 71 (or double sessions and 51 voted for portable classrooms to be added lo the existing schools. Mrs Turner extended an invitation to future board meetings and added. "We have a lol to consider and we will have your impressions from tonight Another public hearing on the subject was held Wednesday at the West Jr. High T"dd Elementary cafeteria. A task force meeting will be held Thursday. Thurs-day. March 4 at 7 p m at the District ol lice At Ihe March II school board meeting final reports Irom the task forces will Ik' presented and the Ixiard will make ,is many divisions as ap propnale at that lime. Superintendent Ellis said |