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Teachers and parents urge Santa Maria‑Bonita board to cut class sizes and revisit inclusion model
Summary
Second‑grade teachers and parents told the board that second‑grade classrooms with 30–32 students are undermining small‑group instruction and special‑education support, and urged the district to fill vacancies and reconsider the push to full inclusion for some students.
Kristen Latchman and Tracy Lipson, second‑grade teachers at Ontiveros Elementary, told the Santa Maria‑Bonita School District board that class sizes exceeding 30 are preventing the small‑group instruction foundational to early literacy.
"Ideally, a class should have 25 or less students, especially in kindergarten through second grade," Latchman said during the public‑comment period, adding that small‑group “Win Time” should be four to five students but currently serves seven to eight in her classroom. Lipson said the promised bilingual instructional assistant staffing is not in place: "We currently only have two BAS for our four second grade classrooms," she said, describing adults being pulled to cover absences and leaving second graders underserved.
Other staff and parents raised related concerns. Myra Palmer, an instructional assistant, said inclusive classroom pacing leaves students with special needs behind and recommended returning some students to self‑contained placements. Librarian Stephanie Wells, who has worked in the district more than 20 years, said her son benefited from resource classes rather than inclusion for certain services.
Parents also described classroom practices they said were driven by time constraints and staffing shortages. Amanda Cochran told the board she is concerned about rising screen time in classrooms and asked the district to revisit dual language immersion boundaries so more students can access the program.
Why it matters: Teachers said large classes hamper targeted interventions for struggling learners and create safety and logistical challenges in small classrooms. The board did not take action during public comment but agreed to receive information and follow up in future reports on screening, staffing, and instructional supports.
What’s next: Board members asked staff to provide follow‑up information about class‑size data by site, bilingual assistant allocations, and the district’s reading‑screening rollout.
Ending: Public comment concluded and the meeting moved to consent and action items.
