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Board approves class size capacities to guide transfer decisions; district sets deadlines for transfer notifications
Summary
Board approved recommended class size capacities to guide in‑district and out‑of‑district transfer approvals, with district staff and board members noting concerns about fifth‑grade capacity and secondary class limits.
The Emporia Board of Education voted 7‑0 on Wednesday to approve recommended class size capacities that will guide in‑district and out‑of‑district transfer approvals for the coming school year.
Assistant Superintendent Judy Stanley presented the annual capacity recommendations, explaining the capacities are used to determine how many transfer requests the district can approve and to ensure class sizes remain manageable. "We use these capacities for in district. We use these capacities for out of district," Stanley said.
Stanley described deadlines the district is using to manage transfer windows: families with in‑district transfer requests will be notified between May 15 and May 30; out‑of‑district applicants will be notified between July 15 and July 30. She said automatic approvals are issued when a student has a staff parent or a sibling in the building, or when the student is already enrolled and in good standing.
At the secondary level the district revised its approach after last year’s experience. Stanley said she used total teacher counts divided across four grade levels to arrive at an 18:1 target at some secondary grades: "Where we landed was an 18 to 1. So if I'm looking at tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade, we're looking at 300 being the max." She explained freshman capacities were set lower because the transition year can have higher needs and the district is still filling some freshman‑level science positions.
Board members pressed Stanley on elements that could cause future imbalance. Several members asked about fifth‑grade capacities, noting that the current configuration of teachers could allow buildings to reach higher totals even if enrollment appears modest; Stanley acknowledged capacity is a recommendation and the district can adjust building thresholds if needed.
The motion passed unanimously. The board president moved to "approve the recommended class size capacities to guide transfer requests as submitted," and a board member seconded; the clerk recorded the final tally as 7‑0.
This item was an action item and is expected to govern transfer approvals for the next enrollment cycle.
