Summerlin school likely to go to year-round schedule

By Frances Vanderploeg

Monday, Jan. 26, 2009 | 4:18 p.m.

Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School will probably switch from a nine-month to a year-round schedule next year in order to avoid big changes in its attendance zone.

It is one of 74 schools on a watch list of Clark County public schools that are being considered for a change in schedule. Most of the schools probably will not change, Sharon Dattoli, director of demographics and zoning, said. They are on the list because they are over capacity or are having their attendance zone adjusted, she said.

It is part of a new system to inform parents of potential changes in elementary school calendars in January. Changes in the calendars are not finalized until mid-March.

Nearby schools also on the list include Bonner, Roger Bryan, Christensen, Eisenberg, Goolsby, Kahre, Ober, Piggott and Tarr elementary schools.

Since its opening in 2004, Givens has been a nine-month school. The school, which is designed to hold 773 students, is nearing 1,000 students, Principal Rick Slater said. A year-round schedule would allow it to accommodate 952 students without mass rezoning.

Givens was scheduled to be considered for rezoning this year. Though a final recommendation has not been approved, Givens was taken out of consideration early, because the school's administration and parents were willing to switch to a year-round calendar.

Two communities were under consideration to be moved out of the school, each of about 250 students. A meeting was held at the school, and parents and administrators agreed that one community leaving may alleviate the crowding some, but the school still might have had to switch to a year-round calendar.

Parents at a zoning committee meeting in November said they thought it would be a reasonable compromise to switch to a year-round schedule to avoid busing either group of students to another school. It was a decision Slater backed.

"These are our PTA parents, our supportive groups, everything that's so positive that you need in our schools," Slater said. "If I had my druthers, I would opt to go year-round (to keep everyone here)."

Land for a new school is set aside nearby, but it will not be built until 2012 at the earliest, Slater said.

He was confident switching the school to year-round would provide the campus with enough relief to keep it from future zoning consideration until the new campus opens, he said. There are currently 10 portable classrooms on the campus, and Slater expects they will stay even if the campus converts to year-round, he said.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or [email protected].