On Thursday, Oct. 13, St. Johns County School Superintendent Tim Forson sent a video to parents and district staff responding to stories by area news outlets regarding a recent School Board action on class size.
Referring to news stories saying the district is allowing class sizes to exceed the state limit, Forson expressed frustration.
“The headlines seem to be more important than reporting and understanding of the actions of the School Board,” he says in the video. “I want to assure you that our way of work has not changed, and we’ll continue to staff schools appropriately.”
The issue concerns an agenda item the board addresses annually regarding class size flexibility as described in a 2011 state law.
That law allows districts to make temporary exceptions to statutory maximums in class size when it is determined that adhering to them would be impractical, educationally unsound or disruptive to student learning.
These exceptions become necessary when families move into the district after the October student membership survey and accommodations must be made for the new students.
Current public school class size maximums were established in 2003, a year after voters approved an amendment to the state constitution setting limits in the number of students in core classes, such as math, English, social studies and science. It does not apply to elective courses.
The amendment restricts the number of students per classroom in kindergarten through grade three to 18, in grades four through eight to 22 and in grades nine through 12 to 25.
The limitations were implemented over the following decade, during which the Legislature established the rules for flexible accommodations.
Exceptions allow for up to three newly enrolled students to be assigned to a teacher in kindergarten through grade three and up to five in other grades. The district is required then to develop a plan returning the school to full compliance by the following October school study.
“Historically,” Forson said, “passing of this resolution has had minimal impact on our schools or our classrooms. It is not, as has been implied or stated, a resolution that is the result of growth in the county.”
He said that, last year, the average class size for kindergarten through grade three in the district was 1.7 students below the cap. In grades four through eight, the average was 3.2 students below the cap. And in grades nine through 12, the average was 4.6 students below the cap.
“While there are individual classrooms that will exceed the class size due to new students, on average, we have maintained well below what is outlined in this resolution,” Forson said.
He added that, “It’s very unfortunate that the reporting has caused unnecessary concern in the community and a false sense that class size decision-making is any different this year than it has been in previous years.”
