THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508170183
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Aleta Payne
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
THE VIRGINIA Beach School Board whipped through a substantial agenda - complete with reports, discussions and reviews of several programs - in just about three hours Tuesday afternoon. That's right, the Beach School Board, whose meetings have been running late into the night even when they start in the afternoon.
Board members seemed surprised and thrilled. And so did most of the audience. Among the items presented:
National Hispanic Heritage Month
The board voted to recognize Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as time set aside to recognize the many contributions of the Hispanic community. Three community members spoke in favor of it.
Status of construction projects
Board members were told that additions to Lynnhaven Middle School, Princess Anne High School and Holland Elementary School will probably not be ready for the start of the school year but that portables could be used to temporarily house students scheduled to attend classes in the additions. Work at Williams and King's Grant elementary schools is ahead of schedule. Other projects are on schedule or are expected to be ready by the start of school.
Full-day kindergarten
The board heard a report on the costs of moving to a full-day kindergarten program in the city's schools. Although the district would see some cost savings from eliminating the midday bus run and would receive additional money from the state, the net cost initially would be $7.7 million for staffing and construction.
K. Edwin Brown, executive assistant to the superintendent, told the board that disadvantaged and bilingual children appear to benefit most from full-day kindergarten. Increased standardized test scores at the end of the kindergarten year appear to be linked to the longer school day and more extended periods of time spent on language, reading and math, he also told them.
If the board pursued a full-day program, Brown suggested phasing it in over two to three years, beginning in schools with the greatest need. Some district schools have expressed an interest in a full-day program and some already run a federally funded extended day program because they serve a large number of disadvantaged students. The district would lose that federal money if it went to full-day, Brown said.
Board member Tim Jackson argued for the program. ``All of the data shows the earlier you reach a child, the more successful they are,'' he said.
Robert Hall, also a board member, didn't question the value of the program but wondered whether the financially strapped district could afford it.
``All I can see is a bloody battle with City Council over funds,'' he said.
Board chairwoman June T. Kernutt suggested the administration come up with a variety of options for implementing a full-day kindergarten for review at a future meeting.
Middle school gifted program
The board received an overview of the first students at the highly selective Kemps Landing Magnet School. Of the 530 students who applied to the magnet school for gifted middle school students, 250 were accepted. Brown estimated that more than 500 of the applicants were qualified to attend the school.
A team of educators served on the committee that selected students based on grades, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations and other criteria. The student body is 52 percent male, 48 percent female. All of the district's middle schools are represented and about 18 percent of the students are minorities.
The board also heard about advanced middle school classes for students who are not attending the magnet school. All of the district's middle schools are offering advanced sixth-grade math and science classes and all but Landstown are offering advanced English for sixth-graders. Similar programs are offered for seventh- and eighth-graders and each middle school has a gifted education teacher who offers extra programs beyond the advanced classes.
Board members questioned a disparity between schools in the number of students in advanced classes. Bayside, for instance, has 17 sixth-graders in advanced science while Lynnhaven has 137.
``The only conclusion I can reach is someone did not present this properly to the students,'' said Hall of the low numbers of students in some programs.
Interim Superintendent Jim Pughsley agreed that the numbers could be better.
``We have to do a better job of selling, and I'm sure we will,'' he said. ``In some areas, it takes a little more effort, and we will put forth that effort.''
Summer school
In its first year of charging for most summer school classes, the district had hoped to make the program self-sufficient. Figures presented to the School Board Tuesday showed the program is expected to end up with a fund balance of about $24,800.
The board has been criticized by some for instituting the charges, particularly because of the impact on low-income students. Although the district offered some financial assistance or payment plans for those who needed them, there were concerns that some students still would not be able to afford classes.
Enrollment this year was down by more than 3,000 students from 11,708 to 8,288 but it was not clear how many of those students did not attend because of the expense. Board member Elsie Barnes asked the administration to try to determine the reasons for the decline and Pughsley promised a more comprehensive report to the board in October.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH SCHOOLS by CNB