The district's best hope at maintaining the 20:1 ratio was Measure A, a parcel tax that, if it had passed, would have assessed residents an additional $98 per parcel for the next five years.

But the measure failed to meet the required two-thirds approval, and incoming third-graders will see an increase in the number of their classmates.

San Jose Unified School District spokewoman Karen Fuqua said that for the upcoming year, the decision to increase the third-grade class sizes at all elementary schools in the district is firm.

The district had previously considered also increasing kindergarten class sizes, but Fuqua said after eliminating the professional development coaches at all elementary schools, which saved the district $400,000, the district was able to keep class sizes at 20:1 for kindergarten.

But salvaging kindergarten class sizes isn't enough for Willow Glen parents who believe cuts could be made elsewhere to help maintain the smaller class size for incoming third-graders.

To garner support, a grass-roots effort is being started by a number of elementary school parents in the San Jose Unified School District.

Incoming Booksin Elementary Community Association president Melinda Gedryn wrote a letter to the district on behalf of concerned parents at Gardner, Booksin, Schallenberger and Willow Glen elementary schools.

In the letter, she said that other cost-saving measures should be explored and implemented to find a solution.

Gedryn thinks incoming third-grade students will find the increase troublesome because smaller class sizes allow teachers to focus on each student's individual needs. Gedryn also said third grade is often the age when learning difficulties come to light and enlarging class sizes will detract from a teacher's ability to identify a student with particular difficulties.

"When you have 30 kids in the classroom, the atmosphere changes dramatically," Gedryn said.

Willow Glen Elementary School parent Mary Schorr is also upset by the class size increase and said she thinks one of the benefits in the lower public school grades was the 20:1 ratio.

"This is distressing mainly because the jump between third- and fourth-grade curriculum has a huge amount of growth," Schorr said. "This decision might really affect incoming parents' decision to have their child attend public school."

Booksin parent Trang Tran shares the same concerns and also wants to spread the word throughout the community about the importance of parents getting involved and finding a solution to the problem.

"All the parents of incoming third-grade students in all the school district need to understand that we don't have much time," Tran said. "The best chance we have to reverse the board's decision is to have parents speak up about it."

She adds, "We need a parent from every elementary school in the district to stand up and take the lead. They need to come to the next board meeting and speak up if this is important to them."

Fuqua said the district is already facing a $3 million to $5 million decrease in the upcoming budget and is looking at issues like transportation and consolidating schools as possible options for saving money.

But for the fast-approaching 2003-04 school year, Fuqua clearly stated, the increase would be implemented.

The next San Jose Unified School District board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the district offices, 855 Lenzen Ave.