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Teacher and parent speakers raise class‑size overloads and CTE successes during public comment
Summary
During public comment, a teacher reported many classes remain in 'overload' with several cohorts above 24 students after the first FTE review; separate comments praised CTE/workforce events and building progress at Hudson's Bay and Fort Williams programs.
During the meeting's public‑comment period, teacher Megan Formal said the district's first FTE review prompted a proposal to collapse a fourth‑grade class to create a kindergarten section, leaving many classrooms in 'overload' (she said roughly half of classes are now in overload and several second‑grade cohorts have never had class sizes under 24). She warned of negative long‑term consequences for behavior and instruction if class sizes are not reduced.
John Gerard and other speakers highlighted workforce development and career‑technical education activities. Gerard reported that Dozer Days hosted about 50 employers and 900 students (around 350 from the Vancouver School District), announced that the Hudson's Bay new building slab is poured and that a donor will fund toolboxes for approximately 500 fourth graders. He also said coordinated CTE partnerships (including a local shipyard contractor) are developing pipelines to skilled‑trades jobs.
Board members and staff acknowledged these classroom pressures and the value of CTE outreach. The meeting's public comment rules and the board's process for handling personnel complaints and written submissions were reiterated; no formal policy votes on class sizes occurred at this meeting.
