What are the real facts about class size
in the Millburn Schools for the 2005–2006 school year?
The Board of Education issued a list of unsupported
outcomes
about class size to defend its $40.2+ bond referendum.
The Superintendent of Schools has said that if the referendum
does not pass then the district will experience: average class
sizes of 30 and above at the High School, massive overcrowding
of classrooms at the Middle School, and classes of 25 students
and above at the elementary schools. These suggested outcomes
imply that we need to overbuild our schools, rather than develop
other more reasonable plans to address student population cycle
patterns. The truth is the high school has an average classroom
size of only 19 and the middle school has an average classroom
size of 20.
Now here are the facts.
Our non-profit, information based organization formed a specific
research task force to examine the current class size distribution
in our schools. This task force did the research in direct response
to the suggested threat that any anticipated increase in student
population could not be accommodated in our existing school buildings.
This threat of overpopulated classrooms has been one of the Board
of Education's most insistent mantras.
Are we experiencing overcrowding in our classrooms?
According to our analysis of classroom size distribution, the
Millburn schools are well managed and leave room for population
growth.
The overall average class size
at the High School is 19. Average class size by "level" is:
18 in Advanced Placement classes, 20 in Accelerated classes,
19 in College Prep A classes, 16 in College Prep B classes, and
15 in the few combined level classes. Average class size by department
is: 21 in English, 20 in History, 20 in Math, 19 in Science,
17 in World Languages, and 16 in the combined Fine & Related
Arts, Business, and Music categories. (See
Appendix I, below)
How does this compare to the Middle
School? At the Middle School overall average class size is 20.
Average class size by subject is: 20 in Language Arts, 20 in
Math, 21 in Science, 21 in Social Studies, 19 in World Languages,
and 21 in the cycle courses. (See Appendix
II, below)
Where are those large classes everyone keeps
talking about?
There are some larger classes in the district, defined here
as 25 and over in enrollment. At the Middle School this occurs
in 11 sections representing 3.7% of the total sections at that
school. At the High School, using double weighting for full year
classes to balance with 1/2 year classes, this occurs in 117
sections representing 14.2% of the total sections at that school.
Balancing these larger classes
are section sizes of less than 15 students. At the Middle School
there are 5 sections of under 15 students, or 1.7% of the total
number of sections. At the High School there are 152 sections
of under 15 students, or 18.4% of the total sections. (See
Appendix III, below)
Also of interest is that many High School classes of 25 and
over are still within the designated maximum for the class section.
Of over 800 class sections running this school year at the High
School, only 5.3% are running over their maximum and at least
25% of these are electives.
What about the distribution in between?
In reviewing the statistics for class sizes at the secondary
level for the 15-19 and 20-24 student categories, there is a
marked difference between the Middle and High Schools. At the
Middle School 34.3% of all class sections fall in the 15-19 students
category, leaving 60.3% in the 20-24 category. At the High School
the 15-19 students category represents 35.2% of all sections
and the 20-24 student category represents 32.2% of all sections.
If grade configuration changes are to be considered in the district,
this is an area worthy of review.
What about population
distribution at the elementary level?
At the elementary schools the class sizes indicate that 37.4%
of all sections are in the 15-19 students category, with 62.6%
in the 20-24 students category. Upon looking more closely at
the elementary schools, class size distribution assumptions can
be made that will help calculate the open seats available at
these schools for this current school year without changing the
number of class sections. Using as a guide a kindergarten class
population of 20 and a grades 1-5 class population of 23, there
appear to be 268 available seats in our current elementary school
operation. (See Appendix IV, below)
What is of great concern is that individual elementary schools
follow different protocol for determining class size. The 3rd
and 4th grades at Hartshorn School and the 3rd grade at Deerfield
School are each 92 students in 4 sections. But at the Glenwood
School, the 2nd grade class of 91 is in 5 sections.
The facts are the facts.
WeLoveMillburn believes that the structure of certain operations
of the district require some rethinking in order to optimize
the use of our current facilities. But we also believe that individual
class size is not the issue.
Read the attached appendices for all the facts and then decide
for yourself.
The more you know, the more you'll vote NO December
13th.
WeLoveMillburn.com
October 23, 2005
