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H.454 draft would add class-size minimums to Education Quality Standards, set waiver and enforcement rules
Summary
Markup to H.454 would add average class-size minimums to the Education Quality Standards: kindergarten minimum average 12 students, grades 1–4 minimum average 15, and grades 5–12 minimum average 18; the draft creates waiver pathways for geographic isolation or implementation plans and directs rulemaking and enforcement timelines.
The strike-all draft of H.454 discussed on March 28, 2025 would add class-size minimums to the Education Quality Standards (EQS) and set related enforcement, waiver and rulemaking procedures.
Specific class-size requirements in the draft
- Kindergarten: minimum average class size of 12 students. - Grades 1–4: minimum average class size of 15 students. - Grades 5–12: minimum average class size of 18 students.
The draft excludes certain course types from the class-size minimums, including Career and Technical Education, flexible pathways, terminal courses, Advanced Placement, courses that require specialized equipment, driver’s education, and small-group services for special education, targeted academic intervention or English Learner instruction. Multi-age classrooms for grades K–8 are limited to two grade levels per classroom.
Waivers and enforcement
The draft allows a school board to request a waiver from the State Board of Education if geographic isolation prevents compliance or the district has an implementation plan to meet the standards. The State Board is to define "geographic isolation" in its rules. If the secretary determines a school fails to meet the class-size minimums for two consecutive years, the secretary must recommend one or more actions to the State Board; the board then follows existing due-process procedures reminiscent of current EQS enforcement.
Interaction with approved independent schools and rulemaking timelines
The draft requires approved independent schools that accept public tuition to comply with class-size minimums and directs the State Board to adopt a substantially similar opportunity-to-comply process for independent schools as it would for public schools. The draft sets multiple rulemaking dates: the class-size minimum provisions take effect on July 1, 2026, and committee staff read that the State Board should initiate rulemaking to harmonize EQS within specific timeframes (for example, initiating certain rulemakings on or before Jan. 1, 2027, and a range of other dates discussed in the session).
Committee debate and context
Committee members questioned whether the class-size minimums should be enforced "regardless of whether a school is meeting other EQS standards," and expressed concern for small rural schools that serve communities where larger scale is not practicable. Staff emphasized the provision is intended as a transitional standard to encourage scale while preserving waiver paths for geographic isolation and implementation plans.
Additional protections
The draft also contains language prohibiting the State Board from ordering school-district or school consolidations solely as a remedy if the consolidation would create school construction costs exceeding a district’s capital reserve account until the General Assembly acts to establish new district boundaries and related consequences.
Next steps
Committee members indicated rulemaking deadlines and definitions (notably "geographic isolation") would be handled through State Board rulemaking required by statute under the draft. The transcript records discussion but no final recorded roll-call vote.
