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Parents press District 67 to plan for a 4th first‑grade section at Cherokee amid enrollment concerns
Summary
Parents raised concerns about first‑grade class sizes at Cherokee (reported sections of 21, 22, 22) and urged the board to plan now for hiring and adding a fourth section if enrollment increases, citing negative impacts from late hiring in prior years.
Multiple parents told the board they are worried about current first‑grade section sizes at Cherokee and asked the district to plan proactively for the upcoming school year.
Courtney Payne, speaking on behalf of parents of current first graders, said the three existing sections have 21, 22 and 22 students respectively and noted two of the classes already meet the district's administrative guideline cap of 22 for K–2. Payne warned that, given recent registrations and the possibility of students moving into Cherokee, it is reasonable to expect sections to meet or exceed the grade‑3-and‑4 cap of 25 and urged the district not to wait until August to make hiring decisions.
Dr. Montgomery had earlier outlined District 67 administrative class‑size guidelines (K–2: 22; grades 3–4: 25) and described factors used when adding sections: staffing availability, classroom space, student academic and social‑emotional needs, classroom composition, and continuity of student relationships. He said class sizes alone do not define the classroom experience and that building teams may add support staff or co‑teaching to address needs.
Parents asked the board to begin planning hiring earlier to avoid repeating past years when late hires led to poorer outcomes for students. The board did not announce a specific staffing decision during the meeting but heard public comment and was reminded class‑sectioning decisions may change over the summer as registrations continue.
