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Parents urge Westerville Schools board to add fifth‑grade teacher at FA Elementary
Summary
Two parents told the Westerville Schools Board on June 8 that FA Elementary’s fifth‑grade cohort — "just under 90 students" — should receive an additional teacher to avoid large class sizes and behavioral disruptions, citing levy promises to protect class size and individualized supports for students with learning needs.
Sarah Crompton and Gwen Joseph, both parents of Westerville City Schools students, urged the Westerville Schools Board of Education on June 8 to authorize an additional fifth‑grade classroom at FA Elementary.
“Currently, our grade sits at just under 90 students, which I understand is the threshold that would allow for another classroom and help create more manageable class sizes,” Sarah Crompton told the board during the public‑comment period. She said the cohort is “very boy‑heavy” and includes students with behavioral needs whose challenges can cascade into disruptions for the whole class.
Crompton described her son’s progress after receiving individualized attention in smaller classes and warned that increasing class sizes would reduce teachers’ ability to provide that same level of support. “When teachers are responsible for more students, more time is inevitably spent managing classroom behavior and less time is available for individualized support,” she said.
Gwen Joseph, also a parent at FA Elementary, echoed those concerns and said many supporters helped pass the recent levy with the understanding that smaller class sizes would be a priority. “I believe that we deserve a fourth teacher,” Joseph said, adding that fifth‑grade classes could otherwise reach 20–27 students and “it’s going to be a nightmare for the fifth grade teachers.”
Both speakers framed the request as one of academic and developmental urgency: fifth grade is a transitional year before middle school, they said, and students who need individualized instruction risk falling behind if class sizes grow.
The board did not take immediate action on the requests during the June 8 meeting. The public‑comment segment concluded with applause, and the board proceeded through its agenda of routine business, first readings of several policies, and recommended actions before moving into a scheduled executive session.
What happens next: The parents asked the board to reconsider staffing decisions and urged continued communication about how levy revenue and staffing thresholds will be applied. The board’s meeting minutes and future agendas should indicate any follow‑up steps or reports from district staff on enrollment thresholds and staffing decisions.
