NEWHALL : Year-Round School Sign-Ups Planned

Parents of Valencia Valley School children in Newhall will be offered preferences of classroom-schedule tracks Jan. 23 at the school during first-come, first-served registration for a planned year-round calendar starting in July, officials said this week.

Families who make no choice will be assigned a track, officials said.

Kindergarten pupils in the 1993-94 term must be preregistered between Jan. 11 and 15 before their families may select a track Jan. 23, officials said.

Families camped out overnight during November registration for multitrack schedules at Wiley Canyon School, the only other school where year-round classes are planned in the Newhall School District. Most got their choice of tracks that will enable them to take vacations in July or August, officials said.

Multitrack, year-round education--in which students attend classes for 60 school days, then vacation for 20 school days, in four staggered schedules--is controversial in Newhall, a community of fast-growing Santa Clarita.

School officials say it is necessary to reduce crowding. Opponents, arguing that multitrack is disruptive, say they have submitted about 8,300 signatures, more than the 6,400 required, to put the issue to a June vote in hopes of blocking its implementation.