Year-Round Plan for Schools Gets Another Hearing, Another Drubbing

Although tempers have sometimes flared during the debate over year-round schools, the atmosphere was subdued Thursday night during a public hearing on the issue at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys.

At the hearing, 35 speakers took turns explaining their position on the issue to three members of the Los Angeles Board of Education. About 250 people attended.

The San Fernando Valley hearing was the second in a series of community meetings on the prospect of year-round schools. The board decided to hold the hearings after it voted in October to withdraw its decision to place the entire district on a single 12-month calendar beginning in July, 1988. In March, the board is to vote again on the issue.

Most of the speakers were against changing from a traditional September-to-June calendar, saying that they would be unable to find child care and that their family lives would be disrupted.

Proponents believe that year-round classes, with groups of students rotating vacation periods, would allow more youngsters to attend neighborhood schools. More important, many district officials believe that a 12-month calendar would provide more classroom space.

It was board member Warren Furutani, who represents an area stretching from Watts to San Pedro, who had changed his vote on the year-round issue and forced the reconsideration of the matter.

Many parents speaking at the public hearing aimed their comments at him.

“I need to speak to you, Mr. Furutani--you are a really important vote on this issue,” said Diane Siegel, a parent.

She told Furutani that he should listen to parents and vote against placing the entire district on the year-round calendar.

There were a few people at the hearing in favor of year-round classes.

“Academically, Van Nuys Elementary School has benefited from year-round school. I strongly support year-round for the whole district,” said Sally Green, who said all three of her children have gone to year-round schools.

Van Nuys Elementary School is one of 13 Valley schools and 93 districtwide that already hold year-round classes. Most of those schools were placed on year-round calendars because of large enrollments.

Joining Furutani on the hearing panel were Valley school board representatives Roberta Weintraub and Julie Korenstein. Both women are staunch opponents of year-round schools. Korenstein said persuading fellow board members to vote against year-round schools was difficult.

“Just as you are frustrated, we are frustrated,” she said. “We try to get our point across to other board members. Some listen more than others.”