YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLS

1. What is a year-round school?

Year-round school simply is a rescheduling of the standard 180-day school calendar to keep the learning process continuous and to maximize the use of school facilities. Students have periodic short breaks rather than one long summer break.

2. Explain the school calendar for year-round schools.

Under the year-round plan the school calendar is divided into four nine-week quarters. Each quarter is separated by a three-week break. Students, therefore, are in school nine weeks, off three weeks, etc. Nationally this is referred to as a 45/15 calendar – 45 days in school, 15 days on break, etc.

3. What is a track?

In a fully implemented year-round plan, students are split into four groups or tracks, with each track having a different schedule. Schedules are staggered so that at any given time, three tracks are in school, and one is on break.

4. Will all the children in my family be on the same track?

Yes. Siblings are placed on the same track kindergarten through eighth grade.

5. Once my child is on a track, can he move to another track?

Each student stays on the assigned track for the entire school year. A parent may request to have the student moved to a different track for the next school year.

6. What does “track-out” mean?

Track-out time is the three-week period when students are on vacation, or “tracked-out” of school. This time is also referred to as “intersession” at many schools. During this time, many students attend remedial sessions at the school if they are below grade level.

7. Will my child have homework during track-out time?

Track-out time is like summer vacation. Students are not assigned homework but many students use this time to get ahead by reading and by attending intersession programs.

8. Will transportation be provided?

Yes. Transportation will be provided for students who are assigned to the school and for students who live in the designated year-round magnet transportation pattern.

9. What is the instructional program like in the school?

The instructional program is the same offered in regular, traditional schools in Wake County.

10. If my child is academically gifted or has special learning needs, will he be served at the year-round school?

Yes. Students receive the appropriate services in much the same way as they are provided in traditional schools.

11.Will my child have the same vacations and holidays as other students?

Holiday times are the same for students on the traditional calendar and the year-round calendar. Vacation times are different – rather than the long summer break, year-round students have four three-week breaks during the year.