Ames district proposes lower elementary class-size targets as staffing, Title I shortfall force reallocations

Superintendent Grimes presented the district's monthly enrollment and staffing report, recommending lower class-size targets for lower elementary grades and outlining immediate staffing implications.

Grimes said the district's draft recommendation moves kindergarten and first-grade maximums from 25 to 23 students per section and second grade from 27 to 25, a change she said would require maintaining two additional elementary teachers at an estimated incremental cost of about $150,000. "If we were to reduce four teachers through attrition, that'd be a cost savings around $300,000," she said, framing the trade-offs for the board.

Nut graf: The recommendation is intended to align classroom sizes with instructional goals while responding to recent resignations and categorical funding pressures. The district reported three current elementary resignations and a broader staffing picture that includes openings at the high school and middle grades.

In a staffing update presented later in the meeting, the district said it will post multiple certified positions beginning immediately, including special-education, language-arts and grade-level openings. The human-resources briefing listed two "success" (Title I reading support) positions as open and noted the district is about $450,000 short in Title I/Success funding for the year. As a result, "I will not be rehiring these two positions," the associate superintendent said, and principals were instructed to reallocate existing staff across buildings to maintain services.

Board members asked about how success/Title I work fits with core instruction. A board member observed that strengthening Tier 1 instruction reduces the need for Tier 2 interventions, and Grimes agreed that stronger general-education practice can lower downstream support needs.

The superintendent said the board will receive formal class-size recommendations next month and asked the board whether it preferred the smaller-class recommendation or larger short-term savings; no final board action on class sizes was taken at the meeting.

Ending: The board did not vote on class-size targets at this meeting; Grimes said she will present final recommendations in March after further budget analysis and as staffing postings proceed.