Year Round School Question (middle school, vacation, deal)

[RJH0723]

I have searched the WCPS website and can't find my answers.

I was wondering how it is decided what "track" you will be on if you attend a YR school. How great are the possibilities that if you have elementary and middle school children that they will be on different tracks?

[TheBigKahunaNC]

You select your 1st, 2nd choice and hope you get it. Some tracks are way more popular AND crowded than others.

[RJH0723]

So some tracks are "better" than others? How is that? I have looked at the YR calendar and tried to figure it out. It's very confusing!

Also, when do YR schools start? From the calendars it looks like July? Is that when they promote also?

[StAndroid]

Some people prefer certain tracks because of vacation planning, holiday time, congruence with other kids schedules (like if one is on a traditional calendar and one is on YR). "Better" is subjective.

[ncbeckster]

Some like tracks with multiple classes of the same grade on it so the same group of kids isn't together year after year.

Tracks 1 and 4 have a break between school years where tracks 2 and 3 just get a week between grade levels.

Tracks 1, 2 and 3 start after the 4th of July. Track 4 starts three weeks later.

[twingles]

Many people prefer track 4 because it most closely aligns with a traditional calendar.

Other tracks tend to have smaller class sizes and people like them because you can travel at really "off" times for vacation.

[RJH0723]

Would you all stick to a traditional calendar with a child in middle school and 3 children in elementary? My fear is they would be on different tracks! Do all kids in a household on the same level (elementary) guaranteed to be on the same track?

[MB1972]

Originally Posted by RJH0723

Would you all stick to a traditional calendar with a child in middle school and 3 children in elementary? My fear is they would be on different tracks! Do all kids in a household on the same level (elementary) guaranteed to be on the same track?

I think as a general matter they try to have the tracks coordinate. However, nothing is guaranteed in WCPSS. As others have mentioned some tracks are more popular...track 4 is very popular. So obviously all families won't be accommodated with matching tracks. Plenty of families in WCPSS deal with split calendars. Depending on the age of your children if you have a kid in year round elementary/middle and also have a high schooler you will definitely deal with split schedules as all high schools are traditional calendar.

[twingles]

You should keep in mind that all high schools here are on traditional calendar, so your middle schooler will soon be on a traditional calendar no matter what.

I've never heard of anyone having their kids on different tracks.

[Pixel_Dent]

Originally Posted by RJH0723

Would you all stick to a traditional calendar with a child in middle school and 3 children in elementary? My fear is they would be on different tracks! Do all kids in a household on the same level (elementary) guaranteed to be on the same track?

It's not guaranteed but when my kids attended year round schools none of their friends had siblings in different tracks, so it seems like they really try to make sure all siblings are on the same track.

By the time my oldest child was in high school it didn't really matter to us that she was traditional and the younger kid was year round since she was mature enough to take care of herself school wise and had different agendas/interests during vacation periods than the younger kid. We just didn't see it as an issue at that point.