Year-Round Classes at Burton May Be Scrapped

Amid protests from parents and a state senator, Los Angeles school officials say they are considering scrapping the newly imposed year-round calendar at the campus where the principal was beaten, allegedly by anti-white assailants.

Los Angeles Unified School District officials said they have taken extra care to listen to parents in the wake of February’s attack at Burton Elementary School, and that such a reversal--while extremely rare--would be worthwhile if it could stem ongoing tensions.

On Friday, about 30 parents waved protest signs and loudly denounced the year-round schedule, while complaining of other “injustices” at the 760-pupil campus. Parents also vowed to keep their children home from school until the district changes Burton’s calendar back to the traditional two semesters.

A day after signing a mediation agreement with school and city officials, the parents accused district administrators of exaggerating enrollment figures to put the campus on a year-round track.

“We have come here today to expose some of the problems,” said Leticia Robles, who received cheers from other parents, political representatives and community activists, as well as support from the San Fernando Valley Mexican American Political Assn. and state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar).

For more than a year, some parents said, they had written letters and met with high-ranking school officials, saying that white bureaucrats didn’t listen to their concerns, cannot speak Spanish and discourage the speaking of Spanish. The school is 90% Latino.

“We have complained before; it is not enough,” said Lorena Aguilar, who with other parents chanted, “We want classes, not vacations” in Spanish. “We have to pressure [the district] so we will be heard.”

Teachers, administrators and parents said much of the tension started when the district, following policy, put Burton on a year-round schedule after projected enrollment figures showed that more than 50 elementary students would need to be bused elsewhere.

Parents said they believe that former principal Norman Bernstein--who remains on sick leave and has been replaced by a first-year principal--inflated enrollment figures and ignored parents’ concern that year-round schools disrupt families and give children too much vacation time.

“Mr. Bernstein is a nice person, but he never talked to the parents,” Aguilar said. “We never wanted a year-round school. It’s not good for the kids. They don’t listen to us. That is the problem.”

Bernstein could not be reached for comment.

Nearly one-third of Los Angeles Unified campuses operate on one of four year-round calendars because of overcrowding. Officials said few have ever reverted to traditional scheduling, and none could recall a change because of parent protests.

“It would be a highly unusual move, but I wouldn’t be looking at the issue if I thought it was futile,” said John Liechty, assistant superintendent for Valley schools. “I want to stop this divisiveness. . . . I don’t want to go through another year of parents being dissatisfied.”

School officials said inaccuracies in enrollment projections--should any be confirmed--would have been unintentional.

If the numbers were askew, officials said, it is because enrollment is difficult to estimate, especially in areas with highly mobile populations.

“It happens all the time,” said Liechty, adding that school officials are again analyzing Burton’s student population.

Reversing the school’s calendar would require approval from parents, staff and administrators, then the Los Angeles Board of Education.

“If the numbers prove that there are not as many students as anticipated, and everybody approves, then I don’t have a problem with [Burton] students going on a traditional calendar,” said Julie Korenstein, the school board member whose district includes Burton.

Korenstein said any school would receive the same consideration if parents objected vehemently to year-round scheduling.

But Korenstein and Burton Principal Judy Kravitz said that because the school is in one of the district’s highest-growth areas, overcrowding could resurface in a year or two. “Flip-flopping is disruptive to everyone,” said Kravitz, formerly an assistant principal at 75th Street Elementary School.

Officials said the earliest the school calendar could switch is January, but parents who protested Friday said they want it changed immediately and would keep their children out of school until such a time.

“It will hurt the kids’ education, but the parents believe this is the only way the district will get off its duff,” said Xavier Flores, who is representing parents as president of the Valley Mexican American Political Assn. He said parents might compromise if the district promised a return by winter.

Socorro Serrano, a district spokeswoman, said parents generally are required by law to send their children to school. There are exceptions, she said, and the district could choose not to press the issue.

Parents said they’ve already begun keeping their students home, although district officials reported no more absences than usual, and noted that many of these students are actually on vacation.

Alarcon said that although he doesn’t support the boycott, he praised parents for uniting and peacefully voicing their opinions.

“They want what is best for their children,” he said. “This school has been through a lot.”

Those involved in the mediation called the protest “awkward” in light of the agreement signed late Thursday by parents, teachers and administrators pledging to communicate more and work toward understanding one another and resolving conflicts.

“We did not want to step on the democratic rights of these parents,” said Joe Hicks, executive director of the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission. “But clearly everything hasn’t been solved at the school.”