ORANGE : District May Expand Year-Round Schools

The Orange Unified School District this week authorized Supt. Norman C. Guith to plan an expansion of the district’s year-round school program to alleviate overcrowding in the southwest area of the city.

Guith stressed that the district is not yet committed to enlarging its year-round program, but that state educational codes require school districts to notify the public of a possible schedule change by Nov. 1 of the year before a plan can go into effect.

Guith said the initial plan, approved on a 6-1 vote, is considered “a place-holder to keep our options open while we study our enrollments and while we involve our communities” in discussion of the issue.

Other options that the district will consider to alleviate overcrowding include busing, adding portable classrooms and moving sixth-grade students from elementary to middle schools.

Jeff Holstien, board president, was against the proposal because he considers year-round schools to be “too disruptive to the community.”

Holstien, who represents the district’s west side, said parents there feel the board is “forcing year-round school down their throats and it’s something they really don’t care to take.”

Holstien recommends adding a sixth grade to middle schools like Yorba and Portola, two schools that are below capacity.

“Once that sort of plan is implemented and once those schools are full, then you can implement the year-round plan,” Holstien said.

The campuses most likely to become year-round are Lampson and Taft Elementary, Holstien said, although other schools may be affected.

Orange Unified has five year-round schools: Anaheim Hills Elementary, Imperial Elementary, El Rancho Middle School, and Crescent Primary and Intermediate schools.