Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 15, 1995                   TAG: 9509150104
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS UP TO PARENTS

Gordon said a so-called extended school calendar would help improve students' academic performance, but she said it would be instituted only in schools where the parents want it.

Under the extended calendar, the school year would remain at 180 days, but it would be extended over 12 months, with several short breaks instead of a long summer vacation.

"We are not going to impose it on anyone," she told the School Board Thursday night. "It is something for the schools and communities to decide."

Gordon said there appears to be more interest in the extended calendar than she expected.

Last month, a study panel said that county schools should be allowed to rearrange their calendars so they could have a longer school year with many short breaks.

Under one option, students would attend school for nine weeks and be off for three weeks. Under a second option, students would go to classes for 12 weeks and be out of school for four weeks.

Gordon said school administrators will be speaking to Parent-Teacher Associations about the concept during the next few weeks. But the decision will be left to the parents and staff at individual schools, she said.

The earliest the plan could be implemented probably would be the 1997-98 school year, she said. Changing the calendar for some schools would require budget adjustments and there might not be enough time to do that for the 1996-97 school year, she said.

The study panel said it didn't foresee major logistical problems if some schools opted for an extended calendar while others stayed on the traditional September-to-June schedule.

The panel recommended that a dual-track system be created in schools opting for the change so that children still could choose between the extended or traditional calendar.

Gordon said the dual-track plan could be offered in elementary and middle schools, but probably not in high schools because of course offerings, graduations and other factors.

She said the School Board will be given updated reports on the schools' interest in the extended calendar.

In other matters Thursday night, the board:

Approved a revised policy that prohibits teachers and other school employees from using tobacco products on school property - even in their cars in parking lots - whenever school is in session. There will be no designated smoking areas. The policy is effective immediately, but a 90-day grace period was granted for administrators to work with employees who are addicted to tobacco products and need time to stop smoking on school property.

Was told that the school system ended the fiscal year on June 30 with a $1.2 million surplus, mainly because it spent nearly $1 million less than budgeted. But the schools will have only $758,480 to spend, because almost $405,000 of the year-end money was used to balance the current budget, said Jerry Hardy, director of budget and data management. The year-end funds will be used mainly for buses and contingencies.

Was told that the county's enrollment for the new school year is about 13,700, about 50 more than projected. The small difference won't cause any financial problems, Gordon said.