Perkiomen Valley board advances lower class-size goals, asks admin to model staffing impacts

The Perkiomen Valley School District board voted to move forward with revised "recommended ranges" for class sizes and asked administration to model the staffing and facility impacts before final adoption.

Administrators proposed tightening targets to reduce student counts in elementary and middle grades. "We would shift the table to represent grades 3 through 5 at 20 to 23 [students] and grades 6 through 8 at 22 to 25 students," Superintendent Barbara Russell said during the policy discussion. She called the ranges guidelines rather than hard caps and said administrators would provide projections showing what personnel changes those targets would require.

Board members pressed for clarity about how the ranges apply. "Is this looking at a homeroom or ELA class size?" said board member Jane Lofton, who voiced concern about ability-grouping and access to specialized instruction. A middle-school teacher told the board that changes between mid-20s and low-20s are consequential: "When I have 27 kids in a room versus my class of 20, it is a world of difference," the teacher said.

Members also discussed whether sixth grade should be aligned with upper elementary or middle-level ranges because of building configurations and the transitional nature of the grade. The board agreed to replace the phrase "regular education" with "general education" in the policy language.

Next steps: administration will provide enrollment projections, staffing models and facility considerations at an upcoming Education Committee meeting so the board can consider first-reading language and timing ahead of a formal vote in coming months.