Letter: School belongs on 9-month schedule

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999 | 12:18 p.m.

Why, then, do they feel compelled to rezone houses to push student enrollment at J.I. Gibson Elementary School into a 12-month system? And at a time when there is discussion to switch other 12-month, multi-track schools back to a nine-month calendar.

J.I. Gibson Elementary was built as a nine-month school. That schedule fits well with families who also have children attending nine-month middle schools and high schools.

The teachers and students do not have to shuffle classrooms to accommodate the various tracks. They can set up a classroom and maintain a year of stability. (Try moving your office every other month.)

Students retain more lesson material after one summer break than after many staggered, multi-week breaks.

Students who spend time out of the district with noncustodial parents cannot do this with a 12-month school and our strict, uncompromising absence/repeat-grade policy.

Most parents, myself included, do not want to change the nine-month calendar at this school. Please leave it alone.

Lynn R. Hurst

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