Sisters reopens study on year round school

Year round education for Sisters schools is on the front burner again and may be headed toward implementation in one year.

Superintendent Steve Swisher, referring to a 1994 study by the Sisters School District Long Range Planning Committee that recommended year round education (YRE) for Sisters, asked the school board to clarify its position on the study and its recommendations at a meeting earlier this month.

All four board members at the meeting supported proceeding with year round education in Sisters.

Swisher said in his weekly memorandum to board members, "I will be asking our Elementary Site Council and our Middle School Study Team to begin planning for an `Alternative Calendar' for the 1997-98 school year."

The overriding goal of an "alternative calendar," Swisher said, is to improve education. He said a schedule running throughout the year with perhaps four vacation periods of from two to three weeks duration has proved in studies to produce significant gains in retention and provide better continuity of education.

Several approaches to year round education are possible. They are the "single track" and "multi-track" schedules.

In the single track all students and teachers in the school attend classes and have vacations on the same schedule. The single track, according to Swisher can provide an opportunity while students are on vacation for more timely planning with the teaching staff.

He said it also provides several opportunities during the year for major maintenance projects usually done during summer vacations.

In the multi-track concept, the student body is divided into several groups referred to as "tracks." The instructional and vacation periods of each track are staggered so that at least one track is on vacation at all times. This plan is often utilized in overcrowded schools.

Depending on the calendar selected, and the student body size, from 20-50 percent of the students are always on vacation.

Swisher said that a multi-track calendar could provide a short term solution to the current overcrowding. However, the district must still move forward on plans to expand its physical facilities.

At annual growth rates experienced in recent years, even the multi-track approach would soon be inadequate, he said.

Research conducted by the long range planning committee indicated that costs of scheduling classes throughout 12 months on a single track system are similar to the traditional scheduling now in use.

Costs go up, however, on the multi-track program, but, the study suggests, the cost per student is not necessarily higher.

The year round education concept is presently in use in various forms at several school districts in Oregon, according to Swisher. Some districts have used the concept to deal with overcrowding. Others see educational advantages.

Swisher said the Sisters School Board members, while favoring year round education, are split on their reasons. Some approve the concept for financial reasons and the others believe it can improve education.

The traditional calendar was established generations ago to accommodate the cycles of agriculture when children were used to help on farms and ranches during summer months.

According to the committee report, "Tradition is important, but at a time when our children need every advantage to compete in a world-class economy, perhaps we should take a closer look... a calendar with vacations that may or may not coincide with many parent's jobs or professions (making summer vacations difficult); and the loss of acquired knowledge over the summer which requires several weeks of review each fall."

However, the loss of summer employment for older children in Sisters tourism-based economy remains a concern for many parents.

Swisher believes one of the greatest barriers to overcome on behalf of year round education is that of tradition. He said he heard concerns expressed by board members that "we need to do a lot of education and community communication on this topic.

"Another concern I heard expressed is that we do not want to create confusion about our facility and building needs as we move ahead with some form of alternative calendar," Swisher said.