School Calendar in Douglas County Elementary Schools - understanding the track system
Year – Round Calendar - Track system in Douglas County Colorado Schools
Now that is getting close to the start of a new school year, here is a look at the way Douglas County Elementary School Calendars work.
When moving or relocating to Highlands Ranch, CO or Lone Tree, specifically to Douglas County – whether it is from across the country or from other parts of Denver, one question that comes up frequently, is how does the Douglas County School District's year-round calendar or Track as it is called, work.
Douglas County’s school district is one of the fastest growing school districts in the country, so to manage this growth, some elementary schools have opted to go with a year-round school schedule. Currently only the elementary schools in Douglas County (no middle or high schools) are using track system. It gets more complicated to implement the system with middle and high schools since there are so many more elective subjects.
One of the puzzling aspects of going to elementary school in Douglas County is that one school can have a different schedule from the next. Some schools follow a conventional schedule, some have modified schedule and some schools go year-round – this is also called TRACK. Also, each school can decide to change to and from track when more permanent enrollment changes are projected.
The amount of school days is the same whether on a track calendar or on conventional calendar. Schools that use a year-round calendar, use a 4-track system, where the students are divided into 4 groups called tracks.
Each track follows a slightly different schedule within a 12 week calendar (quarters) and each track takes a break of 3 weeks sometime during each quarter. This system keeps rotating and allows schools to handle more students than they would using a conventional calendar.
Three of the four tracks start the same day in July, and the 4th starts 3 weeks later. After this, the tracks spread out for their respective rotations. Each track is off for Christmas break and at the end of June, before the new track calendar starts again.
The decision to be on a 4-track calendar is of the individual school and the district’s Executive Director.
Below is the track schedule for the 2008-2009 Calendar Year for Douglas County Elementary Schools
Each school assigns their students to one of the 4 tracks (A, B, C or D). Students are assigned to tracks based on available space and the family’s choice. All children in a family are assigned to the same track. Requests can be made to change track when space becomes available. Many schools also offer on-site childcare for off-track days. And many Douglas County recreation centers offer "camps" and programs for those off-track weeks.
When looking for new home in Douglas county, it is good to remember that if a decision is based on living in a neighborhood that goes to a school that is on a conventional calendar, the school may change to a track system anytime in the future, or vice versa, depending on the enrollment changes.
Also, it is good to remember that all Douglas County schools have open enrollment, so once you narrow down the area or neighborhood you would like to live in, you still have the option open enroll your children to any Douglas county School.
For the upcoming school year 2008-2009 all three Lone Tree Elementary Schools: Acres Green, Eagle Ridge and Lone Tree Magnet, are on a Modified Schedule.
Since last school year, there is a reduction of track calendars used within the Douglas County, for this year 16 of the school are going track, compared to 24 from last year.
Five of the ten Castle Rock's elementary schools are on track calendar this year.
Elementary Schools in Larkspur, Sedalia and Franktown all use a conventional calendar.
Here is a 2008-2009 Elementary School Schedule for Conventional and Modified Calendar
To find out more, you can browse through the Douglas County School District's very comprehensive website.
The Douglas County School District Maps and Calendars
Douglas County School District - Elementary Schools
For more information feel free to contact us at any time!
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