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Teachers, parents press Redwood City school board to reduce kindergarten class sizes; teachers’ union asks district to endorse parcel tax
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Summary
At the March 11 school board meeting teachers, parents and union leaders urged the board to reduce kindergarten and TK class sizes and speed special‑education assessments. The Redwood City Teachers Association asked the district to endorse a parcel tax and said the measure would raise about $12.2 million annually.
More than a dozen teachers and parents told the Redwood City School Board on March 11 that kindergarten classrooms are too large and that delays in identifying students with special needs are denying children crucial early interventions.
Christy Herrera, who identified herself as a Hoover kindergarten teacher with 23 years in the district, described crowded classrooms that limit teachers’ ability to offer individualized support. “Kindergarten is where children are learning how to function in a school community,” Herrera said, adding that in her class this year “we have 27 students, 33 percent of them with IEPs, 63 percent are multilingual learners, [and] 37 percent have elevated behavioral needs.” She told trustees that those numbers make it “extremely difficult to provide the individualized support that many kindergarten students require.”
Why it matters: Board members heard recurring accounts that large early‑grade classes and stretched special‑education caseloads can slow assessment and intervention, a problem research and the speakers said can affect students’ long‑term achievement. Multiple presenters asked the board to consider staff and schedule changes, more paraeducators, and hard caps on certain caseloads.
The Redwood City Teachers Association also spoke at the meeting. Brenna Gere, the union president, asked the district to officially endorse Proposition 55, the Children’s Education and Healthcare Protection Act of 2026, and signaled the union would assist with voter outreach during the campaign. Earlier in public comment, Erin Washburn, identified as the teachers association membership chair, praised the parcel tax language now under consideration and said the measure is designed as an equitable property tax at “17.5¢ per square foot” and would bring “$12,200,000 into our schools, annually.”
What the board did: The board heard the public testimony but did not take immediate policy action on class size at the meeting. Trustees proceeded with the posted agenda, including school SIPSA reviews and routine consent items; those motions were approved later in the session.
What’s next: Several speakers urged the board to return with concrete staffing and timeline proposals. The parcel tax language cited by speakers is slated for a June ballot, and union leaders said they will campaign for it.
