Photograph by Robert Scheer
Saratoga Union School District Superintendent Mary Gardner examines the new state education budget.
By Tim Persyn
In a carrot-and-stick approach to education reform, the state government is offering a total of $771 million of next year's budget to schools that can reduce class sizes to 20 students per teacher.
The initiative, which applies to kindergarten through third grade, offers $650 per student to schools who reduce class size on a full-day basis and $325 per student to those who reduce it on a half-day basis.
Currently, officials in the Saratoga Union School District are attempting to decide how they can comply with state regulations so they can take advantage of the funds. However, they wonder how they can manage to have a class-reduction program in place by the February deadline.
"I think they are going to investigate to come up with a plan that is best," said Jill Van Hoesen, president of the Saratoga Education Foundation. "It sounds like they are going to investigate the options before jumping in."
Obstacles to implementing class reduction include the difficulty of hiring qualified teachers, facility constraints and the affect on district finances.
Significantly, the state is not providing all the funds necessary to reduce class size; consequently, the district will have to make up any financial shortages with its own money.
Bob Hines, chief of staff for state assembly member Jim Cunneen, said there is an awareness that the class reduction initiative poses challenges for school districts. However, he said that Cunneen preferred to move forward now rather than wait, due to the significance of the issue.
In spite of the complications posed by the initiative, the district's board of trustees has decided to at least pursue the half-day option. To comply with the requirements, the district will initially act to reduce class size for the first grade, and later second grade. After class sizes for the these two grades have been reduced, the district will have its choice of reducing class size for either kindergarten or third grade.
Currently, district class sizes are about 25 or 26 students per teacher for kindergarten through third grade (K-3).
There are other requirements that must be met by the district that have not been clarified by the state, according to district officials. For instance, there is uncertainty as to how the schools can be staffed to meet the student-teacher ratio guideline. Another uncertainty is the hours during which the ratios must be maintained.
In addition, the district fears the possibility of having to rearrange students and teachers mid-year in order to meet the state's deadline for class reduction. "I'm not sure the community would like changing teachers in February," said Cindy Ruby, board president. "I feel a lot of this is crafted by people who have never been in the classroom."
Other issues that must be dealt with include the possibility that resources for fourth through eighth grade might need to be diverted to K-3 as part of the class reduction effort. However, district officials are sensitive to the possibility of unfairness.
Superintendent Mary Gardner said that "if the district has to raise class size or cut programs at other grade levels, we have to weigh the loss against the gain. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore $650 per student."
The district's final decision on how to handle the state's class reduction initiative may come through a complicated process.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, July 31, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved