Parents urge district to avoid kindergarten–first grade combination class as staff outline enrollment and staffing constraints

Dozens of parents gathered at the board meeting to press the district to avoid creating a kindergarten–first grade combination class at Hollywood Beach School for the 2025–26 school year, arguing that the developmental differences between the grades require separate, age‑appropriate classrooms.

Gloria Cabrera, a parent and former combination‑class teacher, said combination classes are “doable with a lot of help” but warned they create stresses and longer‑term consequences for children. “Our goal is to be proactive to fit in work and effort to prevent the combination class rather than putting that effort into making it,” Cabrera said.

Other parents provided classroom examples and cited research they said shows split‑grade classes can produce lower academic outcomes in the early grades. Allison Nammel, a parent of a TK and a first grader, explained staff turnover at the site and said she feared hiring someone into a complex combo role without sufficient surrounding supports. “We’re hiring into a position that has no support for that person,” she said.

Brooke Kent, another parent, told the board, “We implore you to find the funding necessary to provide 2 separate sections of kindergarten and 2 separate sections of first grade at Hollywood Beach School.” Kevin Kent asked the board not to move forward with a combo class: “Please don't move forward with the combo class.”

District staff presented an informational report requested by the board. Mr. Castano (staff member) reviewed 10‑year enrollment trends and site‑level considerations. The district reported 6,690 students enrolled this year — a decline of about 300 students from last year and roughly 1,700 students over the past decade. Staff said program mixes (dual language, sheltered immersion), grade‑level enrollment and state requirements affect staffing determinations.

District staff projected about eight combination classes for 2025–26 across the district (three at Bard, one at Beach, two at Hathaway, one at Haycox and one at Parkview) and said the district has 90 TK–5 general education classrooms overall and 21 existing special‑education combination classrooms. Staff also said eliminating the projected eight combination classes would cost about $1,300,000.

Staff explained state requirements that influence staffing: a grade‑span average for TK–3 of 24:1 and full TK implementation next year requiring TK classrooms staffed at a 20:2 adult‑to‑child ratio (one teacher and one paraeducator). The board and staff discussed screening‑based variability within classrooms and the need to plan assignments thoughtfully; pedagogical remarks emphasized alignment of California State Standards and the role of teacher quality and emotional classroom climate in student engagement.

The item was informational; board members did not vote on combination‑class placements at the meeting. The board asked staff to continue analysis and bring site‑level staffing determinations back as enrollment solidifies in August.