A Strategy for Overcrowded Schools. Confronted by overcrowded schools and tight budgets, school districts in about 30 states are keeping schools open year round. By switching to the year-round calendar, districts can fit more students into existing school buildings, saving millions of dollars in construction costs. Because of a growing awareness of this risk and the significant cost savings of YRE, the number of year-round schools has jumped from 287 in 1980 to more than 1,900 in 1994. While one group is on vacation, another track is using the building, thereby increasing its capacity.
School districts can choose from a wide selection of plans or develop their own.
No matter which year-round plan is adopted, the chief reason for converting to YRE is to avoid the cost of building a new school. Unified School District converted to year-round education in 1976. In the 1984-85 school year, its elementary enrollment increased by 644 students. Costs for transition to the new schedule include those for feasibility studies, administrative planning time, and teacher in-service training. But these are modest compared to the avoided construction costs.