Ventura Voters to Decide on Year-Round Schools

The board of the Ventura Unified School District decided late Tuesday that it will let voters determine whether all schools in the district should convert to a year-round schedule.

The board of the 15,500-student district voted 5 to 0 to follow the recommendation of Supt. Joseph Spirito to place the issue on the November ballot. Spirito said he wanted to put to rest the debate over a proposal to put seven schools on a year-round schedule.

“My feeling is, let’s settle this issue once and for all,” Spirito said.

Six of the district’s 25 schools already are on a year-round schedule.

But the district’s recent proposal to convert seven additional schools to a year-round schedule beginning in August drew a number of complaints from parents, one of whom threatened to sue the district if it followed through with the plan.

Schools being considered for the switch were Cabrillo Middle School and Blanche Reynolds, Lincoln, Loma Vista, Pierpont, Poinsettia and Will Rogers elementary schools.

Five of the seven school principals had recommended that the schools go to the year-round schedule.

The district sent out 2,300 questionnaires in December, only 944 of which were returned. Of those who did respond, 60% said they favored the year-round system. Parents of Will Rogers Elementary School students were the only ones who said they would not support the switch.

After the surveys were tabulated, Spirito said he felt uncomfortable making a recommendation to the board on the issue with so few responses.

If the measure is defeated, Spirito said, principals still can lobby to turn their schools into year-round facilities.

Ventura schools now on a year-round calendar are De Anza Middle School and Oak View, Arnaz, E. P. Foster, Sheridan Way and Mound elementary schools.

Under a year-round schedule, students would generally be in class nine weeks and off three weeks throughout the year. School officials argue that students retain information better because they no longer have a three-month summer break between grades.

Opponents of year-round schools argue that it would disrupt their family life, forcing them to change work and vacation schedules.

Countywide, only two other school districts, Fillmore Unified and Oxnard Elementary, are on a year-round schedule.

Times correspondent James Maiella Jr. contributed to this story.