Survey Indicates Most Parents Back Year-Round Plan : Schools: Districtwide, 54% of parents of Ventura elementary students favor switching to an all-year schedule.

More than half the parents of students at 12 Ventura elementary schools favor converting to a year-round school calendar, either next school year or the following year, a district survey released Tuesday showed.

But some parents of elementary students said they wanted the schedule only if the middle school that their children would attend also were converted to a year-round calendar.

Districtwide, 54% voted in favor of year-round schools, but 15% wanted them only if the schedule were adopted at both the elementary and middle schools. Of the parents surveyed, 79% responded.

Only 39% of the parents said they wanted the year-round schedule at their school regardless of whether it is adopted at middle schools.

Two district schools, E.P. Foster and Sheridan Way, adopted the calendar last year. When parents were surveyed at those schools, at least 70% favored it, but surveys at those schools were done at the request of groups of parents who wanted the program, Michael Sellwood, the district’s director of administrative services, said.

District officials said they have not determined whether a simple majority will be the basis for deciding, on a school-by-school basis, whether to adopt the calendar.

“To my knowledge, there is no hard number that must be achieved,” Sellwood said.

Of 15 schools surveyed during the last week of January, Elmhurst Elementary was the only school where more than 70% of the parents voted in favor of the calendar. At Elmhurst, 73% of the parents said they would want the school to operate year-round, either next school year or the following year.

About 16% of Elmhurst parents, however, said they would only want the year-round schedule if the middle school their other children attend, or will attend later, also is year-round.

In a separate survey of the district’s staff, including teachers, bus drivers, secretaries and maintenance workers, the majority voted in favor of year-round schools. Among all staff members, 66% voted for the year-round schedule and 34% voted against it.

More than a dozen parents who addressed the school board were almost evenly divided on the question.

“If year-round is implemented, it ought to be done on a voluntary basis,” said parent Don Wheeler, who added that he is not convinced that the schedule has educational benefits. “I don’t feel it should be shoved down everybody else’s throats.”

But Joane Baumer, whose two children attended Poinsettia when it was on a year-round schedule, said they benefited from it. “They want to go back to a year-round school,” she said.

In a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting, Sellwood said the survey reflected parents’ concern that their children in different schools be on the same schedule. “Families are very concerned about having schools split,” he said.

A report presented to the board said that “overall, there is not sufficient support at any of the three middle schools to warrant implementing the year-round calendar.”

“We would have difficulty coming to you and recommending that one of these middle schools go year-round based on the level of support,” he said.

Along with Elmhurst, support for year-round schools is also strong among parents at Blanche Reynolds, Loma Vista and Poinsettia elementary schools, Sellwood said.

District officials will ask the principals of each school to make a recommendation to the board on whether the school will adopt the calendar, based on survey results and consultations with parents and staff, Sellwood said.

The board is scheduled to take a final vote Feb. 26.

E.P. Foster, Mound and Sheridan Way elementary schools are now the only schools in the district on the year-round calendar, although Arnaz and Oak elementary schools and De Anza Middle School are set to begin the schedule in July.

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

If Ventura school officials decide to use a simple majority, or more than 50%, as the basis, then 12 schools may adopt the calendar, although some by a narrow margin.

At three schools, Juanamaria and Will Rogers elementary schools and Balboa Middle School, more than 50% of the parents voted against the schedule.

At three other schools, Junipero Serra and Lincoln elementary schools and Cabrillo Middle school, nearly half the parents, or 49% at each school, also voted against the year-round program.

John Gennaro, president of the Ventura Educator Assn., said he was concerned that the survey may be divisive at schools were teachers vote differently from parents.

At Loma Vista Elementary, for example, only 28% of staff members voted in favor of changing to the year-round schools next year, and 44% voted against a year-round program. Among parents, 47% voted in favor of beginning the schedule next school year, and 33% voted against it.

“I think there is the potential for conflict,” Gennaro said. “I don’t know if that’s the way it’s actually going to fall out. Hopefully, that won’t happen.”

SURVEY RESULTS ON YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS

Figures in ‘yes’ columns reflect percentages of parents who would approve the change to a year-round schedule. The left column is for parents who want the schedule to start the next school year; the middle is for those who want to wait a year.

(1991-92) (1992-93) SCHOOL YES YES NO ELEMENTARY Blanche Reynolds 48% 3% 35% Elmhurst 53% 4% 28% Juanamaria 34% 2% 51% Junipero Serra 33% 2% 49% Lincoln 32% 3% 49% Loma Vista 47% 6% 33% Montalvo 37% 3% 41% Pierpont 41% 3% 43% Poinsettia 37% 5% 37% Portola 35% 1% 43% Saticoy 33% 5% 46% Will Rogers 37% 2% 54% MIDDLE SCHOOLS Anacapa 33% 2% 48% Balboa 27% 3% 57% Cabrillo 30% 4% 49% TOTALS 36% 3% 46%

* An average of 15% of parents said they want the schedule only if the middle or elementary school their other children attend or will attend also converts to year-round.