Wachusett panel reviews class-size report, considers midyear preschool classroom amid inclusion and middle-school disparities
Summary
Dr. Kroll presented the district's ELA-focused class-size report and told the committee the district may add a preschool classroom this year due to increased referrals, a step that could raise salary-line costs by roughly $300,000.
WORCESTER, Mass.
Dr. Kroll presented the Wachusett Regional School District'wide class-size report at the committee's Oct. 21 meeting, saying the document is "generally it's always been ELA focused" and excludes special-education and English-language-development pullout counts. The report, he said, covers K'12 ELA class sizes and offers a separate lens on middle-school caseloads and scheduling.
The presentation noted that preschool enrollment is harder to predict and that the district has "a potential need to add another classroom for this class this school year." Superintendent Dr. Riley said the district expects to open an additional preschool classroom midyear if referrals continue, and warned the move "may have an impact on our salary line"; staff estimated opening a preschool classroom could cost roughly $300,000 because it requires a teacher, a paraprofessional and, in some cases, additional aides.
Why it matters: the committee's discussion tied class-size reporting to equity and to the district's broader scheduling work. Kroll emphasized that the standard class-size report is ELA-driven and "doesn't really paint a great picture" for middle school, where differences in schedules and section loads produce uneven teacher caseloads and student opportunities.
Kroll highlighted recent full-time-equivalent (FTE) adjustments across buildings. He said the district has balanced positions from year to year (for example, removing an ELA position in one building while adding another elsewhere) and listed subject-area reductions he presented for FY25'FY26 (examples included ELA, math, science, social studies and various high-school positions). The presenter cautioned on certification differences when reporting removals by subject.
Middle-school issues: committee members heard that Mount View and Paxton have teachers assigned to six sections in some cases, which yields higher average caseloads at those schools; Kroll noted that world-language offerings vary by school (Spanish at every middle school; German and French limited to one school each) and said the district will explore hybrid or shared-course models and scheduling changes with DESE and a grant-funded partner, Better Lesson.
Special populations and inclusion: members asked whether the class-size averages include honors or AP levels and how inclusion students are counted. Kroll confirmed the class averages include all non-special-education ELA sections but not pullout special-education sections. Dr. Riley and Kroll said the district has been moving toward more inclusive placements and will examine special-education staffing in upcoming budget cycles, saying the district is "not staffed to the level we need to be" to fully implement inclusion models at all levels.
Preschool and early intervention: staff described preschool as "rolling admissions," with referrals from early-intervention providers, doctors and families creating unpredictability. Dr. Riley said the early-childhood principal has already reported a waiting list and that the additional classroom is necessary to keep class sizes appropriate and remain compliant with service requirements.
Follow-up and next steps: the committee requested more granular data, including breakdowns by course level and the distribution of students with IEPs/504s across classrooms. Staff agreed to dig deeper into placement and scheduling nuances and to return with additional detail that can inform budget requests and next-year scheduling proposals.
Quotes and attributions in this article come from statements made during the Oct. 21 meeting and are attributed only to speakers identified in the meeting record.
