VIRGINIA BEACH

About 800 students could be moved next fall when the city's four year-round schools revert to traditional schedules.

Ending the year-round programs at Corporate Landing, Plaza, Point O'View and Seatack elementaries will save about $792,000. Most of the schools struggled to fill classrooms and show academic gains greater than schools on traditional calendars.

The change will affect students at five other schools: Arrowhead, Birdneck, Brookwood, Kempsville Meadows and Ocean Lakes elementaries. Some students zoned for a year-round school attended those five opt-out schools on traditional calendars.

Darla Rupert has daughters at Arrowhead and Point O'View. She was hoping to send both to a year-round school.

"I'm really still devastated," she said. At Point O'View, a shorter summer helped her younger daughter, Tiffany, 7, stay engaged in academics, she said.

When schools open Sept. 8, students will be sent back to their zoned neighborhood school.

For the Ruperts, that's Point O'View.

The school division is allowing students who will be in fifth grade to stay at their current school. Parents need to apply for an out-of-zone transfer.

Also, schools will try to keep siblings together.

Parents of other students can apply for transfers, but their requests will be granted based on available space.

Some teachers may switch between paired schools or go elsewhere in the division. Those at year-round schools will be given the first shot at summer school jobs.

Families of Plaza and Brookwood students face another wrinkle. Plaza is on a short list of schools being considered for closing, although a definitive plan likely won't go to the School Board until May.

If Plaza were to close in 2010, some students could face the prospect of changing schools twice in two years. School officials want to avoid that scenario.

"We're moving ahead like Plaza will continue to exist," said Betsy Taylor, assistant superintendent for elementary schools.

The focus right now is on making sure the transition "is as smooth as possible for staff and students," she said.

Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com