in areas that are experiencing a rapid rise in population. Soccorro Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, began its conversion to year-round education in 1991. School officials looked to YRE to assist in accommodating a rapidly rising enrollment. Using a four-track system, they were able to increase the capacity of the most overcrowded schools by one-third. Based on their success, all of the schools in the district switched to some form of a year-round calendar in the next three years. Soccorro administrators and faculty stress that they consider the reorganization of the calendar to have as many economic benefits as well. By not having to build a new school or add on to an existing facility has been for the most part responsible for the yearly increase in the number of schools switching to a year-round calendar over the past decade. The chief reason, however, for converting to a year–round education is to avoid the cost of building a new school. Expenses would be incurred for building design, engineering, construction, and furnishing, as well as for infrastructure reconstruction (streets, sewers, water, utilities, and furniture.) In 1987, a study for the California State Board of Education indicated that it would cost nearly $4 million to build a 24-classroom elementary school (720 students), and more than $6 million to build a secondary school addition to accommodate 720 students. The Oxnard (CA) Unified School District converted to year-round education in 1976. In the 1984-85 school year, its elementary enrollment increased by 644 students. If the district had been on the traditional nine-month calendar, it would have needed an additional school, at a cost of $5 million. It is believed that by converting to year-round education the district saved $16 million in new building costs over a 13-year period.Another example is the Pleasant Valley School District where officials are budgeting $71 million on a building projec...
