Parents and teachers urge board to reverse proposed elementary section reductions, warn of 27–29-student classrooms
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Summary
At public comment, multiple parents and elementary teachers told the AVERILL PARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT board that proposed reductions would push some elementary sections to about 27–29 students, undermining individualized instruction and special-education supports.
Scores of parents and teachers used the meeting’s public-comment periods to press the AVERILL PARK CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT board to reverse planned elementary section reductions that would increase class sizes in some sections to roughly 27–29 students.
Karen (speaker 10), a parent of first- and third-grade children, said the change would “increase our class from 21 students to approximately 29 students” in some classrooms and described how classrooms that now offer individualized instruction would become strained. “That’s just not a change in number. It’s a fundamental shift in learning environment,” she said.
Emily Fu (speaker 15), who identified herself as a life-science teacher at Davenport High School, warned that staffing cuts in the science department and rising core-class sizes have already reduced elective access and that larger elementary classes will undercut the foundation students need to succeed in higher grades. “If we continue to lose these programs, students lose valuable opportunities to explore their interests and strengths,” Fu said.
Several parents and staff gave concrete examples: Josh Gregg (speaker 7) called 27–29 students for 9- and 10-year-olds “a recipe for disaster”; Amanda Breidenberg (speaker 8), a teaching assistant, described a child who has developed sleep and anxiety issues tied to a crowded classroom; and Jane Velasco (speaker 17), a 26-year fourth-grade teacher, warned larger classes reduce opportunities for targeted small-group instruction and social-emotional support.
Administration and board members acknowledged the difficulty of choices driven by enrollment declines and rising costs; the superintendent said many reductions are attrition-driven but emphasized the administration tried to preserve essential supports. Board members listening at the meeting urged continued advocacy to state legislators for increased foundation aid and indicated they would weigh public feedback ahead of formal budget adoption.
Ending: The board did not vote on class-size policy during the meeting; officials said the administration will continue to refine the budget and present adoption materials at the next meeting before the May 19 vote.
