Sunset Park Elementary School is seeking to switch its schedule to year-round.
Principal Jakki Jethro pitched the proposal during a New Hanover County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, asking members to consider allowing the switch as a way to offset what she called the “summer slide,” when students forget some of what they have learned over the school year.
“We see huge gaps when they come back. Ground that we have gained is now lost. We don’t see that as much over spring break or the Christmas holiday,” Jethro said. “We have students that regress anywhere from one to five reading levels over summer.”
Going to a year-round calendar–where students get a three-week vacation after every nine weeks–would help students retain knowledge and keep teachers from losing instructional time, she added. Over the breaks, struggling students would get a week of half-day instruction and tutoring.
And Jethro said such a schedule was particularly beneficial to a school like Sunset Park, in which 90 percent of the student body qualifies for free and reduced lunch.
“For low-income students it does make an impact, and even more of an impact when paired with that extra week of remediation,” she noted.
Currently, there are only two year-round schools–Codington Elementary and Eaton Elementary–in New Hanover County, although Forest Hills Elementary has begun gauging interest in the calendar change, as well.
Superintendent Dr. Tim Markley said it typically takes a year to make the shift in schedules once it is formally approved by the school board. He told board members Tuesday that when considering moving from a traditional to a year-round schedule, he recommended following the “80/80 rule” –80 percent support from staff and 80 percent support from parents.
Jethro said 98 percent of Sunset Park employees were in favor of a year-round calendar. And in informally polling about 300 of the 470 families, she said 85 percent of them were behind it.
“That’s the key. Even if it is a great idea, if you don’t have parents’ support, it won’t go,” board member Edward Higgins said.
The board will vote on the proposed calendar change at its April 1 meeting. If approved, the switch would take effect in the 2015-16 school year.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at (910) 772-6341 or [email protected].
