Thanks to the ongoing California legislative money grab, schools in districts all across California will be feeling feeling the pinch to shave money from their budgets. Some districts will be recommending cuts, the likes they have never seen. Educators are faced with painful cuts directly into the classroom, including widespread teacher layoffs. The elimination of funding for classroom size reduction means that small class sizes fall victim to the downturn.
The San Bruno Park School District is no exception. Class size reduction funding, which targets kindergarten through third grade in this district, has been peeled back by the state. The program, instituted by former California governer Pete Wilson in 1996 (hard to believe that California had a budget surplus back then) has obvious benefits. With a smaller class size, more attention can be given to the individual students, especially at the younger ages when greater attention results in the most benefit. Research also suggests that reduced classroom sizes is likely to improve academic achievement. However, the downside is the cost. Reducing class size generally requires the school district to pay for more teachers and classroom space.
Starting next year, teachers across the district will be laid off as the lower grade classes rise from 20 students per class to a maximum of 31.5 students per class. The layoffs will be handled by seniority and schools that have multiple teacher layoffs will receive replacements from more senior teachers from within the district. The teachers that remain will be left to cope with too many students in a system that requires that no child is left behind. Teachers will be strained as their quality of teaching will be put to the test. Lynn Souers, a teacher and assistant principal in Orange County, says “Teacher quality and not size is the most important factor. You can have 32 kids in a class with a great teacher and have a great education, but it puts more of a strain on us.” However, the National Education Association strongly disagrees, as evidenced by this policy brief. According to this brief, the benefits of class size reduction are proven and include broad economic benefit, improved high school graduation rates and improved student behavior.
It’s hard to hold the San Bruno Park School District responsible for state cuts. They are doing what the need to do to meet their budget in light of the state’s money grab, as are most districts throughout California. Unfortunately, they find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. Recently, the district voted to set aside funds for a renovation of Parkside Intermediate School. The use of that money will now come back under the microscope. Is it wise to renovate a middle school to the tune of $40 million or more ($20 million from the district and the rest to be provided by tax payers, most likely through a bond) amid budget cuts and layoffs? The district may now feel that spending the money is unwise even though it should be put back into infrastructure as that is where it originated from. It’s possible that money could be put back in the general fund and used for operational expenses as it had been previously, helping to keep class sizes reasonable. Interestingly, the voters will also find themselves facing Parkside renovation/class size reduction dilemma. Parents with younger children will be partial to the smaller classrooms sizes while those who have older kids will want the Parkside renovation. Both are needed, but there is no easy choice.
Make no mistake, teacher layoffs are coming. There is a San Bruno Park School District board meeting on March 10th at Crestmoor school where this topic will be addressed. Addtionally, teachers will be protesting the layoffs and reductions on March 4th, 2010. All concerned citizens are encourage to watch the televised board meeting and participate in the protests.
Sad thing is, the District has been avoiding addressing why it was deficit spending during good years. They breathed a sigh of relief when they slipped into Basic Aid (as though that was a sign of good management) only to have that fall under the State magnifying glass too.
Here’s the real killer: the folks who will scream loudest now about keeping class size reduction are the one who then won’t send their kids to Parkside later because nothing has been done to change it.
There was a vision 5 or 6 years ago how to get the District away from living hand to mouth. Where it could do things better, rather than smug self-satisfaction with how well we did with so little. That is gone, and there isn’t an easy path back.
People didn’t like the arguing on the Board. Well, now the Board is holding hands, singing Kumbaya while the air leaks out of the tires, steam leaks from the radiator, and the crack in the engine block drips a half-quart a day.