Snag in protocol may spur call for second vote on year-round school

Bordewich-Bray Elementary School teacher Judy Rand thinks the four three-week breaks in a year-round school schedule energize teachers to instruct and students to learn.

"Having a break every nine weeks gives us and the students the time for some down time," she said. "When we come back, we're refreshed and ready to go again.'

Rand, a kindergarten teacher, has taught at Bordewich-Bray for 15 years, but has first-hand knowledge of a year-round schedule. She had two children who attended Fremont Elementary School, the only school in the Carson City School District on a nontraditional, or in its case a 45/15 day, schedule. Rand thought it was terrific.

In the 45/15 schedule, students attend school for 45 days, or nine weeks, and have a break of 15 days, or three weeks. The new school year begins in July. Rand hopes Bordewich-Bray will switch to the schedule.

"I would love it," she said. "I'm 100 percent in favor of it because of the curriculum we have today and the pressure the students and teachers are under."

What happens ultimately depends on two separate votes by parents and teachers. The schedule must garner a 66 percent majority to be changed.

A recent vote, as required by district protocol, was taken to see whether there was enough interest to research going year-round. A 25 percent vote of support had to be reached by both teachers and parents.

Now there is some concern that the parent vote, at 27 percent, was incorrectly tabulated, and if it were re-calculated, would drop below 25 percent.

The Carson City School Board will address this issue 7 p.m. Tuesday at its meeting.

"Unfortunately, the protocol that was written sometime in '98 or '99 isn't really clear about the 25 percent of the vote," said Mike Mitchell, director of school operations. "It didn't say which parents got to vote."

For instance, there is a question whether parents of fifth- and sixth-graders should be allowed to vote since their students will be in middle school by the 2006-07 school year when the change would take effect, and whether parents of students who will be in kindergarten and first-grade in 2006-07 should be allowed to vote.

Rene McGruder, a mother of a second grader, said she believes parents of young children who will attend the 2006-07 session should be allowed to vote.

"It's going to impact them, whether they decide their kids should come here or to a school on a more traditional level."

The board can choose to move forward with previously planned information meetings after spring break or to stop the process and order a new vote.

"They did say they would honor the process," Mitchell said.

"If they decide the vote isn't clear and ask for it to be re-taken, that would honor the process."

The informational meetings are the interim step before the final vote. The meetings will provide information to parents on the costs to the district and on the schedule.

n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.