Parents concerned over class sizes

Classes were consolidated at four of the North Hills School District's seven elementary schools, and parents remain worried about the fairness of some schools having classes numbering up to 27, while others have classes as small as 14.

Parents earlier this year lined up to tell the school board they were worried about classes getting too big, primarily at Ross and Highcliff elementary schools. School officials said they had to eliminate teaching positions and combine classes to cut spending and avoid a tax hike in the $60.1 million budget.

"I can understand how they were able to do it and why they did it," Ross Parent Teacher Association President Liz Nutter said. "Are these kids going to learn as well as the children in the classes of 15• They're arguing, 'Yes, they will.' I don't know. The sad part is, we're not going to know for a long time."

Since the budget was adopted, two teaching positions, one each at Ross and Highcliff, were restored.

"I think it worked out OK, or we made the best of a tough situation," school board President Ed Wielgus said.

According to the district's third-day enrollment data, two Highcliff second-grade classes, which had 13 and 14 students last year, were combined into a single third-grade class of 27.

But plans to consolidate last year's two fifth-grade classes, which had 14 students each, into a single sixth-grade class were scrapped. Enrollment grew, and district officials did not want to have 30 students in a single class, Superintendent Joseph Clapper said.

"We had some of our issues resolved, but not all of them," Highcliff PTA President Tami Hurlbutt said. "We just want to have fair treatment through the whole district."

At Ross Elementary School, pupils divided among four first-grade classes of 16 to 20 last year now are in three second-grade classes of 23 to 25. Pupils in five second grade classes of 16 to 21 last year have been consolidated into four third-grade classes of 24 or 25.

But plans to put last year's four classes of fourth-graders into three-fifth-grade sections also were scrapped because of the number of students, Clapper said.

"We're thankful for whatever we can get," Nutter said. "I still feel the classes are too big. We've got to try to work with what we have."

Classes also were also combined at Seville and West View elementary schools.

West View PTA President Denise Haberman said she hadn't complained to the school board before because she was told West View would not be affected. She said this year's fifth-grade classes are too large, especially because of the standardized tests the students will take.

"I'm concerned if they're going to get the enrichment they need with that size and get the standards they want to achieve on these tests. Are they going to be able to accomplish those with that size class?" she said.

Nutter said she remains unhappy with the district's class size policy, in place since 1995.

Under the policy, kindergarten through third-grade classes can reach up to 26 students with one teacher, get a teaching assistant at 27 to 29 students and be split in two at 30 students. In the fourth through sixth grades, classes can reach up to 29 students, get a teaching assistant at 30 to 32 students and be split in two at 33 students.

"They have to revisit it this year. This is the year they have to do it," Nutter said. "Larger classes have survived and done well, but now the curriculum is getting harder. When is 25 going to be too many?"

Wielgus said whether the policy is revised will be left to the administration and staff to decide. He said the only way to bring fairness to elementary class size might be to redraw the schools' attendance boundaries.

"There is no fairness in one school having 15 students in a class and another having 25. That makes no sense, but because the way the elementary schools are districted currently, and the population levels, you can't deal with it," he said.

While the district prepares for a high school remodeling, Wielgus said, the elementary school issue will stay in the forefront, but it could be a few years before anything is done. A committee had recommended that the district close the Northway and Perrysville elementary schools and expand Highcliff and McIntyre.

"All of those options are on the table," Wielgus said.

Clapper will make a presentation to the school board on enrollment when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday at North Hills Junior High School, 55 Rochester Road, Ross.

"I feel real comfortable with what we've done," Clapper said. "We've addressed the primary needs that we had in terms of having adequate student-to-teacher ratios in the district. We're looking forward to a great year of learning."

Additional Information:

Class sizes