Agenda - 11-10-1998 - Attachment #3a

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standpoint. The Cabinet discussed four options and we recommend reviewing all opening and closing times and bus routes, and examining the possibility of pairing schools for staggered opening and closing times since redistricting will necessitate adjustments. This option will allow schools the possibility of extending their school day. The school will operate from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. with before and after- school programs being available to all eligible students on a fee basis with some scholarships provided based on need. Standards-for the after- school programs in the district exceed state requirements in the areas of age of counselors and site directors, experience level of site directors, and staff to student ratio. Like other after - school programs in the district, this program will be licensed allowing students to receive subsidies from Department of Social Services and Day Care Services Association. The programming in the before and -after- school program will be closely coordinated with the school's philosophy and operations. The community outreach subcommittee will: -define the focus for the before/after - school program •seek partnerships with ArtsCenter and other community agencies that would support the program •create a program that meets School -Age Care Environment Rating standards as well as exceeds North Carolina licensing regulations The school will be open to the community in a variety of ways: use of the soccer field, parking lot, multi- purpose room, art room, greenway trail, playground (per the joint use agreement with the Town of Chapel Hill), media center access at least one. night per week, and computer access during the week. To provide staffing for these opportunities, several staff positions will be on a flexible schedule: technology director, user support technician, media specialist, media assistant, and family specialist. The community outreach subcommittee will investigate ways to maximize the use of the facility. School Calendar In the originally proposed model, three calendar alternatives were suggested: to operate on a traditional calendar consistent with the district's model; to operate a year -round program; or to follow the traditional calendar with a site intensive extended year program in the summer, required 'for non - proficient students and optional for students seeking enrichment. Funding for the summer program would come from summer school funds allocated to each school by the district and from fees for enrichment programs. In order to make a more informed decision about the calendar, a phone survey was conducted to solicit 600 responses from all parents in Southern Village and a random sample of students outside the subdivision. The survey responses about the calendar were mixed with no clear preference being given to the traditional or year -round calendar (See Appendix). We recommend a traditional calendar with a site intensive extended year program in the summer. With the extended year summer program we can provide fragile students the support that a year -round program would give them and offer fee based enrichment to other students who receive less benefit from year -round education. Neither the results from the phone survey nor the research on the impact on student achievement for all students provides us with a compelling reason to propose a year -round calendar. However, if it is the intent of the Board to commit to year -round education by having more than one elementary school and a middle school on a year -round calendar, then we will need to reconsider this recommendation. The community outreach subcommittee will define the summer program for enrichment and remediation. 3