Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Class Size topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Elmhurst SD 205 parents urge board to keep elementary class sizes small
Summary
Three parents told the Elmhurst SD 205 Board of Education on June 30 that proposed larger elementary class sizes will harm student learning and the district’s reputation; commenters compared Elmhurst to neighboring districts with smaller classes and urged the board to prioritize individual attention.
Parents told the Elmhurst SD 205 Board of Education on June 30, 2025, that recent decisions to allow larger elementary class sections risk harming student outcomes and could undermine the district's reputation as a draw for families.
At the board’s special meeting, Katie Cunningham, a parent of rising third- and fifth-graders at Jackson Elementary School, said class size is a central factor in student success and warned the district’s recent enrollment plans would “most certainly start to undermine that reputation.”
Cunningham cited neighboring districts when urging Elmhurst to preserve smaller classes. “Class size is an extremely crucial factor in student success in education,” she said.
John Bischoff, who said he has three children in the district, described two second-grade sections last year at Edison with 26 and 27 students and said his daughter will be evaluated for an individualized education program (IEP) next year. “With class sizes the way that they are ... children with IEPs ... need help with math. And I don't think that we have a math specialist in K through 5 at any of the schools,” Bischoff said, adding that large classes make it difficult for teachers to provide the one-on-one time some students need.
Lauren Canfield, who identified herself as a Jackson parent and a school psychologist, said students who “internalize” problems — the children who do not call attention to themselves — are at particular risk when class sizes grow. “My concern as a parent with a student that is going from a class size of 21 to 22 to 28 is the middle kids will get lost,” Canfield said. She described small-group instruction dynamics, noting that larger classes increase group sizes and reduce the time teachers can spend with each student.
Speakers compared local class-size practices with neighboring districts. Cunningham cited Hinsdale District 18 and other districts’ reported section sizes as evidence that smaller class sizes are achievable. Commenters did not present a district policy change or formal board action at the meeting; the public-comments segment was time-limited to 30 minutes.
The board did not take formal action on class-size limits during the special meeting. The board’s stated practice is to follow up with public commenters as needed after meetings.
The next regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2025, at 7 p.m. at the District Center.
