ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701240093
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Hidden Valley Junior High's plan for year-round school could be in jeopardy because of a projected cost of $143,722.
Some members of the Roanoke County School Board raised the possibility Thursday night of delaying the proposal for a year to see if the county can find grant money to help pay for it.
Principal David Blevins said he is afraid that if that were to happen, parents and students would lose interest in the idea.
A county committee has been working on the proposal for four years.
"If we're going to do it, I think we should do it now," Blevins told the board. "It could be difficult to keep up the momentum if we delay it a year."
But several board members said they are worried about making a commitment to spend the money in a year when the schools face budget pressures.
"Maybe there is grant money out there that we could get to help pay for it for the first two or three years," said board member Jerry Canada.
Canada said a year's delay also would give school officials time to address questions about the effect of the year-round plan on extracurricular activities.
Board member Thomas Leggette said the board shouldn't approve the plan until it is sure it can come up with the money.
"I don't want us to get the kids and parents at Hidden Valley excited by approving it tonight, and then coming back in a couple of months and saying we don't have the money," he said.
Chairman Michael Stovall said he likes the proposal, but he's not sure the board has the money to pay for it.
"If the [money] was there, I'd vote for it now," Stovall said.
The board authorized Hidden Valley officials to survey students and determine how many would choose the year-round option if it were offered.
School officials said this will help them calculate the precise costs. They are expected to report their findings to the board next month.
School officials said the estimated $143,722 cost is based on 20 percent of students in the sixth and seventh grades choosing the year-round option. This would include $38,373 for transportation and $105,349 for personnel, including teachers and cafeteria workers.
The year-round plan would be offered only to sixth-and seventh-graders during the first year.
Hidden Valley has developed a proposed schedule that calls for students to attend school for nine weeks and be off for three weeks. The school year would start in July.
Students would have 180 days of class, the same as in the traditional school calendar.
The traditional schedule, with classes beginning in late August and ending in June, would still be offered at Hidden Valley. The year-round schedule would be voluntary.
Advocates of year-round schooling say it can help improve academic achievement and attendance, reduce student and teacher burnout, and provide remedial help for students sooner.
Critics of the American education system contend that the 180-day school calendar is outdated and that a longer school year is needed to prepare students to compete in the global economy.
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