Why Does Douglas County Use Four-Track School Calendars?
The Douglas County School District uses tracks and mobile classrooms to manage the peaks in growth of student populations as neighborhoods grow and mature, as do other Colorado School Districts. Switching to tracks allows the school to enroll 25 percent more students.
This pattern of growth compares to a bell curve. When the school is first opened, it is not at capacity. However, as the area grows the school becomes full and will likely need mobile classrooms and a four-track calendar to handle the increase in population. In some instances, a new school may open in the area to alleviate crowding issues.
Finally, the area around the school matures. Housing is built-out. The population ages and children progress through the schools. Throughout this process, there may be a series of smaller curves as neighborhoods age and then receive a new influx of younger families; however, the enrollment increases are not as dramatic, and the schools are able to handle the capacity. At this point, schools are able to accept open enrollment applications to fill their classes.
