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Parents press West Salem board over planned shift from seven to six 4th-grade sections
Summary
Two parents told the West Salem board they learned the district plans to move the current cohort from seven 4th‑grade sections to six in 2026–27, raising class sizes to about 24; administrators said projected enrollment keeps the district within board guidelines but promised further communication and to return to the board if staffing needs change.
Two parents raised concerns about an administrative staffing plan at the West Salem School Board meeting March 9 alleging a planned reduction from seven sections to six for a cohort now in 3rd grade.
Heather Hordick, a parent of a current 3rd grader, told the board she learned the district plans to cut the cohort from seven sections to six in 2026–27, which she said would raise class sizes to about 24 students. She asked the board to communicate its rationale and to solicit teacher input and family feedback. "If the board chooses to not keep 7 sections next year...I was wondering what the plan is to assist teachers with their larger class sizes," Hordick said.
Sarah Stein, another parent, echoed those concerns and warned of teacher workload and burnout, noting variation in class sizes across lower grades and asking why staffing couldn't be adjusted to distribute students more evenly.
Administrator (speaker 4) responded with the district's long-standing class-size guidelines and current enrollment counts. He said the district’s guidelines target 16–19 students for K–1 (target 18), 18–21 for grades 2–3 (target 20), and 22–25 for grades 4–5 (target 23). Based on enrollment projections (143 third graders reported), the administrator said a move to six sections would still fall within board guidelines but that the district would return to the board with a staffing request if enrollment later exceeded the guideline thresholds. He also encouraged parents to request a more detailed breakdown by email or phone.
Board members and parents discussed communication gaps: parents said they had not received direct notice and asked for transparency; board members said several had experienced large classes previously and encouraged direct follow-up with administration. The board did not take formal staffing action at the meeting and indicated it would monitor enrollment and report back.
The board emphasized that if final enrollment later exceeds policy guidelines, administrators would present a staffing request to the board for action.
