Year-Round Questions
1. Are there any plans for Swift Creek, Yates Mill or Dillard to be converted to magnet or year round?
There are no plans to convert these schools to magnet or year round at this time.
2. If you decline an assignment to a year round or magnet school, can you apply again later?
Yes.
3. Regarding year round schools, it was stated that moving year round children is not considered a "reassignment" because parents apply to a program not a particular school yet you are assigned to a particular school. It lists a school for you on the website. How is this not reassignment?
All students are "assigned" to the school they currently attend. We emphasize that students applying for a magnet seat or a year round seat are applying for the program and not the school. The idea of "reassignment or not reassignment" has been a topic of discussion with the board and we expect a more definitive answer within the next few weeks.
4. When will new year round nodes be published? Will it be before magnet application deadline?
It is our intention to have them published before the magnet application deadline.
5. Would WCPSS even consider becoming an entirely year round school system to alleviate overcrowding?
There is no discussion-taking place that would put all schools on a year-round calendar.
6. Year round students were forced to change tracks this year. Will we be forced to changes schools next year or are we exempt?
There is nothing in place that would exempt any student from being moved from one year-round school to another if the transportation pattern changed and the grade is available at the new school.
7. Are there plans to offer/change more schools to year round/modified calendar within the interior beltline schools? What process is in place to request this?
The year-round calendar is used primarily in this district to provide more seats for students. The modified calendar has become an attractive option for several schools to meet the needs of the instructional program. Changing an "interior beltline school" to a modified calendar can be considered. The best way to request this is through the school principal. If the school is a magnet school, then a request can also be made to the Director of Magnet Programs.
8. Are teacher retention rates better in year round schools?
Teachers in year round and modified calendar schools accounted for 8.2% (58) of the total county teacher turnover (712) in 2002-03.
9. How do you determine the "student population size" for year-round schools (particularly given that demand for year round has exceeded capacities or available and that there is high growth in housing units near the year round elementary schools opening in 2004 and 2005?
Most of the year round elementary schools have six sections per grade. This means that there are two sections on two tracks and one section on the other two tracks. At the middle school, ideally there is a four-person team at each grade for each track.
10. Is Oak Grove going to have a base population for students that live near the school? Less than 1/4 mile?
Oak Grove already has a base assignment. Assigning a base from the immediate school neighborhood is not being considered at this time.
11. There appears to be inconsistencies in "grandfathering" students to stay at their current school if transportation is provided by the student's parent, especially regarding year round schools. Why is this the case?
This was done a few years ago with a year round move. We now know that was a mistake and staff does not intend to recommend that again.
12. How is Oak Grove Elementary going to be affected by the opening of Turner Creek YR?
We have not drawn lines for the new year-round schools. It is anticipated that most year-round schools in the southern and western parts of the county will be affected by the opening of Turner Creek.
13. Why not make more year round schools from existing schools?
Converting an existing school to a year round school has been attempted several times without success. The parents who do not want year round are as strong in their opinions as are those who do want year round.
14. If a neighborhood is moved to a new year round school as a base, how are the 3-year reassignments evaluated and handled? Do you move them back to traditional and vice versa?
To this point no neighborhood that has been assigned to a year round school as a base has been reassigned to a traditional school. We don't believe that will happen.
15. Year round school base - You mentioned reassigning year round base. Is the direction to increase mandatory bases in year round schools? Will a mandatory year round base have an alternate traditional base with supported transportation?
The direction is to see that all year round schools have a base assignment area. As bases are assigned to year round schools, there is no alternate traditional base assigned.