Santa Ana : Board Puts Year-Round Schools Plan on Hold

A proposal to put three elementary schools on year-round schedules was delayed this week when Santa Ana Unified School District trustees directed their staff to look into other methods of alleviating overcrowded conditions.

The district will have to make a decision by mid-March so the schools can begin planning for the changes in the 1986-87 school year, said Barbara Nelson, assistant superintendent for elementary education.

Nelson said the alternatives include leasing mini-sites, use of portable classrooms, leasing of buildings and busing. She added that portable facilities and buses are already being used at several schools.

The board voted 4 to 1 to study the alternatives. Board member James Ward opposed the action because he said parents and teachers would interpret the move as rejection of a year-round plan. “I want people to know that we’re not giving up the possibility of year-round schools,” he said.

Adams, Hoover and Remington elementary schools were the facilities considered for year-round status at Tuesday’s meeting, attended by about 120 people.

The district has experienced an average annual student-population increase of 1,113 over the last five years, and an additional 1,066 pupils are expected in each of the next five years, according to Supt. Ed Krass.