11/10/98
Opelika * Auburn News* THE NEWSPAPER OF EAST ALABAMA*11/10/98
Special: Year-round school surveys scheduled
Special to the News
As part of the process of investigating an alternative calendar for Auburn City Schools, a survey will be conducted of parents, Auburn City Schools employees, students grades 6-12, daycare operators and the community as a whole.
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce has already con ducted a survey of its members. When all the surveys have been collected, the accounting firm of Machen, McChesney & Chastain will calculate the results.
Specific timelines and surveying procedures have been devised for each of the various groups. Green survey forms will be mailed to parents Nov. 12. Parents can return their completed survey to any school within the school district Nov. 18 and 19. Parents may bring their completed survey, sealed in the attached ACS stamped envelope that will be mailed with the survey, to a school office. They can also send that sealed envelope to school with their child. Sealed survey boxes will he placed in school offices Nov. 18 and 19. All boxes will be picked up at 6 p.m. Nov. 19.
Students, grades 6-12, will complete yellow survey forms with the distinctive stamp lettered ACS at their schools Nov. 19. Students may respond and place their surveys in the sealed survey boxes in the school office.
Auburn City Schools employees will receive an orange survey form with the distinctive stamp lettered ACS Nov. 19. They can submit their form throughout the day to their school office or at the office of Transportation and Maintenance.
Only residents of the City of Auburn will be allowed to submit a completed survey. A copy of the survey is published here. The Auburn Bulletin will also be publishing a copy of the survey. Residents wishing to submit a survey may clip one out of the paper and bring it to the Auburn Board of Education Office Nov. 19. A sealed survey box will be set up in the lobby. Residents wishing to submit a survey will be required to present a photo ID and proof of residency, and sign a registry. Surveys will be received from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Members of the survey subcommittee will deliver survey forms to Auburn City Daycare and Preschool facilities Nov. 12, along with self-addressed stamped envelopes. These surveys may be mailed but must be received by Nov. 19. Any survey received after that date will be rejected. Building principals and Directors of Transportation and Maintenance will be responsible for securing the survey boxes at their buildings. Any survey form received after the survey period set forth above will be rejected. All extra survey forms shall be returned to the Central Office and kept in the district's vault. Machen, McChesney & Chastain will account for these surveys.
Editorial: Filling out YRS forms important
There has been a lot of community discussion, concern and skepticism about the proposal to change Auburn City Schools to a year-round or alternative calendar schedule.
Letters have been published, meetings have been held and a committee has been formed to study the proposal A committee opposing year-round school has also been meeting, and red and white Stop YRS signs are sprouting up around Auburn.
Those opposed to the school structure change have voiced concerns about the lack of information provided by the school system, the reasons for the proposed change and that they believe school officials have already made the decision to change to the year-round calendar.
They have complained that their voices have not been heard. Now's the time for those who support year-round school and those who oppose the change to speak up and be heard.On page A-3 of today's edition is a copy of the alternative school year community survey the school system will be distributing to parents throughout the system. The dates the surveys will be distributed and accepted are included in the article on page A3.
Questions on the survey include whether residents would support a change to the year-round calendar and which options, including the traditional calendar, residents would prefer. Each of the options include 175 school days, two institute days, one parent conference day, one teacher planning day; three staff development days and one program evaluation day. The difference is how the breaks are scheduled.
The traditional calendar offers the same schedule students are currently following, with 2 1/2 weeks winter vacation, one week of spring break and an 11-week summer vacation. Another option is a calendar that includes a three-week winter vacation, a two-week spring vacation and an 11-week summer vacation with school starting earlier in August.
Another option includes a one-week fall break, a three week winter break, a two-week spring break and a 10 week summer vacation. Option C includes two weeks' fall break, three-weeks' winter break, two-week spring break and a nine-week summer vacation. The last option includes a three-week fall break, a three-week winter break, a three-week spring break and a seven-week summer vacation.
Parents should study the surveys and determine which schedule would be the best for their family and the community. The options are varied, and one of the choices should fit into every family's planning schedule.
Study the survey on page A-3 and be prepared to complete and return the form once it is distributed. Residents may also submit the form published in this edition. The criteria and dates are listed on that page.
It is important that parents and other residents take the time to choose a calendar carefully. The choices made in collective surveys will help school officials determine the wants and needs of the community.