Parent urges Bexley board to keep three kindergarten classrooms at Maryland Elementary

Edward Woda, a parent of two children at Maryland Elementary School, told the Bexley Board of Education on July 8 that the district should not reduce kindergarten from three sections to two for the 2026–27 school year.

Woda said the district’s current kindergarten enrollment is 39 students, below the approximately 45 students the district uses as a target for three sections, and that under the proposed reduction ‘‘class sizes would rise to nearly 20 students per teacher.’’ He said his youngest child has an individualized education plan and that reductions would ‘‘reduce individual attention for each child, especially those who need it most.’’

‘‘Kindergarten is a foundational year,’’ Woda said, urging the board to ‘‘prioritize what we know is best for student success, especially at the kindergarten level.’’ He asked the board to maintain three kindergarten classrooms at Maryland for 2026–27 and submitted his full testimony for the record.

Woda also criticized the district’s communication around the change as ‘‘unclear and inconsistent’’ and asked for transparency about staffing impacts and any analysis the district used to reach the proposal. The board took no formal vote on the public comment; the item was part of upcoming planning and staffing conversations during the summer.

Why it matters: Small-class research and district practice were cited by the speaker as reasons to avoid the reduction; for families of students receiving extra support, changes in section counts can change the district’s ability to provide individualized services. The board did not announce a final decision at the meeting; superintendent and staff reports indicate district planning and enrollment projections will inform next steps.