The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Board OKs 20-to-1 ratio in third-grade classes

CUSD plan calls for smaller classes by fall

By Katherine Petersen

The Cupertino Union School District Board unanimously approved lowering class sizes in more grades, pending the governor's latest proposed budget, which was released May 14. The district's goal is to reduce classes to 20 students for a full day in first and second grades and for a half day in third grade and kindergarten before school starts this fall.

About 2,800 Sunnyvale kids attend CUSD schools. Four of the district's schools-Nimitz, Stocklmeir and West Valley elementary schools and Cupertino Junior High- are located in Sunnyvale.

The governor's proposal would give the district $800 per student in smaller classes, rather than the anticipated $666. The district would receive $4 million from the state but still have to pay $942,000 to put its plan into action.

The district will need to create space for 39 new classrooms and hire an additional 37 teachers for the plan to work.

Each school will decide how many classes can be cut down to 20 students.

"Some schools may only be able to do the original plan of half-day class-size reduction in second grade, while some schools may be able to implement the whole plan," said Robyn Phillips, the district assistant superintendent of fiscal services.

The district's goal is to reduce class sizes for a full day in third grade for the 1998-99 school year, Phillips said.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 4, 1997.
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