October 22, 2004

ESD NEWS BRIEFS

Small class sizes: effective but endangered

By Chris Corpus and
Kathy Gomez
Special to the Times

Lowering primary grade class sizes to a 20-to-1 ratio has proven to be both effective and popular with parents, children and teachers. Like many great ideas, though, it takes money—not only to put them into action, but also to sustain them.

The Evergreen School District has reduced class sizes in every kindergarten through third grade classroom. Not only are the classes smaller, but teachers undergo strategic training on how to best use this reform effort. It includes specific and frequent assessments of student achievement, and emphasizes ongoing communication/feedback to parents and students on academic progress.

Adla Nicholson, a parent in the Evergreen School District, calls local residents to tell them about Measure N.

First implemented under Gov. Pete Wilson in response to both a budget surplus and the call for educational improvement, Class Size Reduction (CSR) offered an incentive to districts to lower class size in first and second grades and in kindergarten and third grades as an option.

Today, well over 90 percent of California school districts throughout the state participate. But eight years after its implementation, the incentives cover only 70 percent of the real total costs. Districts are dipping into their own budgets to make up the difference.

Now that we are in the midst of an economic downturn, all programs, including popular and effective ones, come under scrutiny. Some school districts already have scaled back because of budget problems and only offer CSR in select grades. Some are considering opting out of the CSR program and its incentives altogether until education funding stabilizes.

As the Evergreen School District looks to adjust its budget and make approximately $5 million in cuts, the Class Size Reduction program could lose its protected status. Clearly, no one wants to make such a drastic decision, not even the most popular governor of California.

Rather than be forced to consider cuts to actual classrooms and student programs, the Evergreen School District board of trustees chose to authorize the first ever district parcel tax. Their main purpose for doing so is to minimize the impact of the state budget crisis and protect the programs that make Evergreen School District successful. The board of trustees knows from experience that Evergreen citizens are supportive of tax measures that support specific, well-thought-out programs.

Measure N specifically targets Class Size Reduction as one of its four goals. The others include keeping our school libraries open and operated by professional staff, ensuring quality textbooks for every child and maintaining technology access for students. The $94 per year tax would last for four years, the length of time most economic analysts think it will take to recover from the current state fiscal crisis. In essence, Measure N is well thought out.

Sensing the urgency of maintaining the award-winning quality of our schools, the Evergreen Citizens for Local Schools (ECLS) is taking charge of the Measure N campaign to keep alive essential programs like CSR, school libraries, quality textbooks and technology. Citizens, as well as business and civic leaders are coming together to show support through campaign donations, personal and group endorsements and the good, old-fashioned hard work of contacting voters.

Join the growing ranks of Evergreen citizens who believe that quality schools make for stronger communities. Vote YES on Measure N on Nov. 2.