Schools

School Officials Look to Reduce Fifth-Grade Class Sizes

Parents plead with district to take it one step further, hire teacher to split Forest Brook's upcoming fifth-grade class into four sections.

Hauppauge school officials are looking to take action after months of hearing parents' speaking out about class sizes at the district's elementary schools. 

Superintendent Patricia Sullivan-Kriss made a recommendation Tuesday night to the Board of Education that the district reassign one kindergarten teacher at to teach fifth grade at for the 2012-13 school year, if incoming kindergarten registrations remain low. 

"There is concern with the class size in next year's fifth-grade class at Forest Brook and Pines, where the current class size is 30," Sullivan-Kriss said. "I suggest we shift one kindergarten position over to the Pines to teach fifth grade, to split the classes of 30 into four sections, instead of three." 

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Regular Board of Education attendees have heard parents and PTA members repeatedly ask about reducing class sizes at the elementary school levels, particularly in the current fourth-grade classes. 

Under the current 2011-2012 budget, Hauppauge Public Schools eliminated 23 teaching positions including two full-time teachers and 2.8 special education teachers in the elementary schools. Last May, - this year's fourth grade  - who heads into fifth grade in 2012-13 due to its large class size. 

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Sullivan-Kriss said Pines Elementary School's fourth-grade class currently has 90 students enrolled. Similarly, Forest Brook's fifth-grade is expected to have 28 to 29 students per teacher and 27 to 28 students per teacher next year. The superintendent did not suggest breaking Forest Brook or Bretton Woods fifth-grade classes into additional sections, but assured they will be closely monitored. 

"At Forest Brook, I am not prepared to recommend just year a breaking of the class," she said.

The superintendent said her decision was based on the fact she's received notice that one Forest Brook student will be moving to the Pines area, further adding to overcrowding there, while a second Forest Brook student will be moving out of district. 

The acknowledgement of the large class sizes with assurance of continued monitoring did not appease Forest Brook parents at Tuesday night's meeting. 

"We are doing a disservice to the children. What would it take from Forest Brook to look at the budget and look into breaking it into fourth groups again to make it reasonable and conducive environment to prepare students for middle school," one mother said.

Geri Richter, Board of Education president, said the district has relaxed is class size policy due to fiscal issues during the past two to three years. Previously, Hauppauge school district's contractual class size limitations stood at 25 students in kindergarten to third grade, 28 students in fourth and fifth grade classes. 

The superintendent said the next year's fifth grade classes and the third-grade class at Pines Elementary School - which has 27 to 28 students per teacher - are the classrooms above the recommended levels.  

"If there is additional money to split classes, I would appreciate the board looking into it," said La young Trantum, Forest Brook PTA president. 

The Board of Education members said they would consider splitting next year's fifth-grade classes at Forest Brook if the district receives potential additional state aid. Assistant Superintendent James Stucchio said by his estimate it would cost the district approximately $75,000 to $90,000  to hire an additional teacher based on salary and benefits. 


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