Court Allows Operation of Year-Round Schools

The 2nd District Court of Appeal has ruled that the Lynwood Unified School District can continue to operate on a year-round schedule. The district began a year-round schedule at five schools on July 1 to relieve overcrowding. A parents group filed suit to return to the traditional school calendar on the grounds that families did not receive proper notification of the change.

A lower court agreed and schools closed on July 24. The appeals court allowed schools to reopen the next day pending its decision on the district’s appeal.

On Wednesday, the appeals court agreed that the notification was improper, but said that closing the schools was too disruptive a remedy. District officials said they hope the case is closed. The ruling is ambiguous, however, on whether parents may throw out the year-round schedule through a voter referendum, said Warren Kinsler, attorney for Lynwood Unified. If parents claim that right, then the issue could return to court, he said.