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Parents and substitute teacher press Winthrop board to address surging class sizes as enrollment jumps
Summary
Multiple public commenters — including a substitute teacher and parents — urged Winthrop School Board to restore teaching positions after grade‑school enrollment rose from 371 to over 420 this year, producing classes of 20–23 students in some grades.
Public commenters at the Winthrop School Board meeting urged the district to act on rising class sizes as administrators gather FY27 budget proposals.
At the start of public comment, Tricia Hitz Lafountain, a substitute teacher who works across the district, told the board that larger kindergarten and early‑grade classrooms are showing fatigue among staff and are not serving students well. “I can see the fatigue on some of the staff,” she said, urging leaders to “listen to the teachers and the parents.”
Parent Amanda Levac said budget constraints are real but asked the board to examine whether adding an additional teacher could reduce class sizes and prevent teacher burnout. “We’re seeing teachers leave the profession in droves,” she said, calling for the district to consider staffing changes that prioritize students and retention.
Amelia Arnold cited enrollment figures in the meeting packet and told the board that Winthrop grade school’s enrollment increased from 371 students last year to “over 420” this year, with a projection of 423 next year. “That is an increase of more than 50 students from last year, 14%,” she said, adding that some classrooms have ranged from 20 to 23 students and asking why the budget does not include restoring teaching positions that were cut the prior year.
Board members acknowledged the comments and asked administrators to produce cost estimates for adding staff. Board member Tim requested that the administration return at the next meeting with the budget impact of an additional teacher at the grade school; several board members voiced support for exploring that option. Chair (speaker 1) said the board was listening and would consider options as part of the FY27 budget deliberations.
The meeting record shows a specific request for an estimate to be presented at the next board meeting so the board can weigh adding teachers against other budget demands.
