Some middle schools may go year-round

The Wake school board considers conversions to keep families on the same calendar

RALEIGH -- Some Wake County middle schools will likely be switched to a year-round calendar next year to help families keep siblings on the same schedule.

The school board voted Tuesday to have administrators put together a list of middle schools that could go year-round in 2007. This request came after parents of children whose elementary schools might be converted asked that their older children be able to attend a year-round middle school; that way, brothers and sisters could stay on the same schedule.

"This is exciting for me," said Vicki Nizen, PTA president of Vance Elementary in Garner, of the possibility that her children's middle school also would be converted. "I'm not looking forward to having children on two different schedules."

Administrators could present the list Tuesday. No specific schools were discussed, but board members don't expect to convert many. "The expectation is that most of the middle schools will stay on the traditional calendar," said Patti Head, chairwoman of the school board.

Initially, administrators hadn't recommended converting any middle schools. When the school board adopted a $1.056 billion construction plan in May, however, the board told administrators to come up with 2,000 new middle school seats by purchasing classroom trailers or converting schools, or both.

Administrators already have recommended converting 23 elementary schools to the year-round calendar in 2007. Year-round schools can handle 20 percent to 33 percent more students than traditional schools.

One of the most common complaints has been the possibility of having elementary students on the year-round calendar and middle-schoolers on a traditional schedule.

"We have no choice," board member Carol Parker said of converting middle schools. "The question is identifying which middle schools to convert."

Head said that the board might vote on the middle school conversions separately -- after selecting the elementary schools. In picking the middle schools, administrators will take into account the locations of the elementary schools that might be converted.

But the conversion of middle schools wouldn't be more convenient for all parents.

If Salem Middle School in Apex is converted, Tammy Pressley's family would wind up on two schedules because she would also have a child in high school. She said she expects that to happen because several elementary schools around her are being targeted for conversion.

"I can't have children on two different schedules," Pressley said. "This is personally insane."

The vote was 7-1. School board member Ron Margiotta voted no because he opposes mandatory attendance for any year-round school.