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Committee to reconvene study of class-size guidelines after concerns about crowded kindergarten classes
Summary
Committee members raised concerns about kindergarten classes at or near caps (examples: a kindergarten class with 20 students) and recommended reconvening the instructional committee with principals and teachers to review recommended caps and contingency staffing; staff noted summer enrollment fluctuations.
Committee members raised concerns about kindergarten and early-grade class sizes and agreed to reconvene a broader instructional committee to develop refined class-size recommendations and staffing contingencies.
Staff presented current class-size guidelines and said the district is following its existing policy while using contingency funds and instructional assistants when counts rise. "These are actuals for where we currently stand," a staff member said, noting some kindergarten classrooms are at 20 students.
Board members urged reconsideration of caps for early grades. Sarah Sadowski, participating remotely, cited early-education evidence: "I'm thinking of the STAR study out of Tennessee where classrooms of up to 17 students far outperformed kindergarten classes of 20," and said investment in early education pays dividends. Committee notes shared during the meeting included a recommended kindergarten range of 14–17 with a not-to-exceed number (example shown as 19) and a proposal to implement changes in July 2025 if adopted.
Members discussed operational realities: staff cautioned that enrollment is a moving target through summer and into October and that principals often delay "meet-your-teacher" events until late August to avoid reassigning families. The committee agreed to reconvene a study group that includes principals and teachers to gather classroom-level input and bring a refined policy recommendation to the policy committee.
No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; the committee directed staff to share notes, recruit participants for the reconvened study, and return with recommendations.
