Glendale Reinstates 6th Period in Junior Highs

For the first time in five years, Glendale’s four junior high schools will have sixth-period classes for seventh- and eighth-grade students when school begins Monday.

The Glendale Unified School District board, in voting last week to approve a $57.2-million operating budget for the 1985-86 school year, included $582,000 to reinstate the sixth period.

The classes were eliminated in 1980 in several rounds of budget cutting that followed passage by the voters in 1978 of Proposition 13, which greatly reduced property-tax revenues.

The money for the additional class period will come from delaying the purchase and replacement of equipment such as typewriters, lawn mowers and computers, district officials said.

That equipment will be bought later with money from the district’s share of state lottery revenues, which is not expected until next year, district Deputy Supt. Wayland Parsons said.

The added class will allow junior high school students to take an elective or a required course, Parsons said.

The sixth period for ninth-grade students was reinstated two years ago. Parents who had strongly backed the return of sixth period for seventh- and eighth-grade students made it the major issue in the spring school board election.

The district’s operating budget for this school year is about $5 million more than last year, although enrollment in kindergarten through 12th grade remained at about 20,000 students.

The increased budget is the result of more state money and a larger-than-expected surplus from last year, officials said.

Additional money for programs mandated by the state and federal governments, such as for handicapped and limited-English-speaking students, brings the district’s total budget to $70.5 million.

Lottery income was not included in the budget because district officials do not know how much they will receive or when the funds will be distributed.

First estimates are that the Glendale district will receive about $1.2 million, school officials said.