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Show Year round schools A letter to the Editor: Task forces have been busily at hand suggesting to the Uintah School Board "f Education a variety of recommenda-hons recommenda-hons from curriculum implementation to year-round schools. It is to this last suggestion I wish to address. Let's review what a year-round school is. By dividing students into different dif-ferent attendance groups and scheduling schedul-ing them around the calendar, school capacity theoretically can be increased by one-third to one-half, depending on the plan used. There are basically two plans The so-called 45-15 plan divides students into four groups. Each group attends 45 days (9 weeks) and then takes 15 days ithree weeks) of vacation. vaca-tion. Each group starts school 15 days later than the one preceding it. School is in session 240 days and each student attends at-tends 180 days. In Concept 6 which the Uintah Board is considering, students are divided into three groups. Each group attends two terms of 44 days each and then takes a vacation of 44 days. In essence, each group attends two 88 day semesters divided by a 44 day vacation each year. Students are in class 174 days a year (a reduction of 6 days from Utah's current 180 day plan.) I do object to the suggestion of a year round school for the following reasons. 1) Family Breakup. The summer months have been reserved to get the family together. It takes the pressure valve off young people. Families cannot do many things together during the winter months, but during summer they can. How many can afford skiing? Once or twice but not regularly from Vernal. Working parents will find it difficult dif-ficult to arrange for child care. In fact students from this supposedly Concept 6 Colorado System whom I have personally per-sonally talked to totally reject this system. They become the baby-sitters for their working parents. It definitely will be much more difficult for families to plan vacations together. 2) Building Problems. None of our present buildings are equipped with air conditioning systems. Summer cooling is 30 percent more expensive than winter heating. Maintenance programs necessarily will be done during regular class time. When do you strip and finish such large areas as the gymnasium? How about the hallways? It's not like refurbishing a home. This home has over 600 young people scuffling to and fro every minute. Then there is the huge strain on the busing system and the state Department of Education will not come up with additional funding. 3) Administration. Many patrons, and teachers as well, feel that there may be too many administrators even under our present system; yet, the year-round approach undoubtedly will increase this number. Speaking of administrators, ad-ministrators, why haven't the principals prin-cipals been consulted about their views? After all they will be the key link to any program's success or failure. We can't just let one self-appointed individual in-dividual pound the year round concept into our system without major question. In addition it may take a computer to |
