Two Johnston County elementary schools will start a year-round schedule in about a month. But school officials are concerned that some parents haven't gotten the message.

"Letters go home with students but there still seem to be some who, when we tell them over the phone or they come into the office, it seems like they've heard for the first time. So that's been somewhat difficult," said Chad Jewett, Principal of West Smithfield Elementary, one of the two schools switching to what the district calls the "academic enhancement calendar." South Smithfield Elementary will also be on the new schedule.

Students will start classes on July 29 and finish the year on June 10. They will have three breaks during the school year: October 5 to 9; January 4 to 8; and March 29 to April 1. During the breaks, the school will offer optional classes for students who want or need them.

"Students who may not have been able to master something are going to get reinforced. And students who have mastered, we're going to push them beyond what they already know," Jewett said. "We want this to be enjoyable, hands-on, engaging for the students." The classes during the breaks will be based on a theme, such as Halloween in October.

The school is trying the longer school year because students were falling too far behind during summer breaks.

"We were finding our reading levels would drop dramatically over the summer. Students either not reading. In some cases students weren't getting any English over the summer break," he said. Almost 40 percent of the school's students are Hispanic, Jewett said.

He doesn't know yet how many students will sign up for the optional classes. But the school is preparing for about 300 students during each break. That's about half of the student body.

"I don't quite know what to expect, since it's going to be so new in Johnston County and so new to this school," he said.

 Click here to find out more about the academic enhancement calendar.