Eliminating North Carolina’s 24-student class size cap is just the surface of bill that passed the state’s Senate Education Committee Wednesday.
Local principals and superintendents back the flexibility of Senate Bill 374, primarily sponsored by Sen. Jerry Tillman, R-Randolph. Funding teachers will be left up to the school districts, and administrators can maintain a familiar learning environment for kindergarten through third grade students.
Northeast Elementary School Principal Kecia Dunn said each of her kindergarten and first grade classes were over the limit by only one in December.
“I had to fix that because it was over the max, so I had to create a new class,” she said. “I had to uproot eight babies in kindergarten and first grade who had bonded with their teachers and bring in a stranger they didn’t know.”
SB374, which will advance to the Senate Appropriations Committee, could potentially threaten unions students form with teachers in intimate classroom settings but can be a way to avoid splitting classes over a single student influx. It would increase flexibility for such situations, but local administrators said budget cuts are always in the back of their mind.
“I’m OK with the bill as long as it does not affect the funding,” said Steve Mazingo, Lenoir County Schools superintendent. “I think the concern that I have … is to make sure this is not a way for the legislature to cut budget. As long as they give us the same funding we’ve been receiving to fund teachers for those grades levels, then I’m more than OK with it.”
While flexibility is something districts have asked for, the possibility of increased class sizes is a downfall.
“In today’s instructions, at least in Greene County, we use a lot of small group instruction that allows students to get that individualized attention,” said Patrick Miller, Greene County Schools superintendent. “I would still try to honor (the) class size limit because I think it would be better.”
He said teachers are able to work with smaller groups with the current cap, an ideal learning environment for younger students.
Shameka Mumford, the mother of a child at Northeast, said she would prefer smaller class sizes for her children.
“Being a parent, the larger amount of kids in the classroom is harder,” she said. “The teacher is one person. I really think the smaller classrooms would be better, so they won’t be overcrowded.”
Mazingo said LCS will also maintain small class sizes, especially for younger grades. The system is in the process of allotment assessment, a series of meetings when schools get a prediction from the state of how many teachers are needed for the upcoming school year.
Northeast kindergarten teacher Davida Schmidt said SB374 would affect instructional time among her students and called a larger class “unreal.”
She currently has 21 kindergarteners.
“To me, that’s as high as it really needs to go,” Schmidt said. “We’re already working with kids who may not have been exposed to even going to a daycare. (The bill) would affect individual attention”
She read a book to her class this week, noticing when any student’s concentration strayed.
Her teacher assistant, Glorious Graham, said young students come with a variety of individualized behavior and personalities that must be addressed.
“I can’t do but so much,” she said. “It’s hard as it is.”
Graham said the bill is not a good idea.
If the legislature becomes a law, it will go into effect the same time Gov. Pat McCrory’s proposed budget would erase funding for teacher’s assistants in second and third grade classrooms.
“I do think that the reduction in teacher’s assistants, and for us teachers, is going to be detrimental to our schools and to our kids,” Mazingo said. “I’m not sure the governor knew the impact that his has budget on classrooms.”
LCS analyzed the budget and found it would lose $1.5 million, which is used to fund 22 teachers’ assistants and 20 teachers. Figures from Greene and Jones counties were not released.
“I think (education) will take a hit,” said Michael Bracy, Jones County Schools superintendent. “(Teacher’s assistants) are the extra eyes, ears and hands who help the teacher in that classroom, so it will be a hit if the (budget) passes.”
He said education has suffered budget cuts the last few years.
It leaves educators and administrators to make adjustments.
“What concerns me about the bill is will they reduce funding to (local education agencies) if they increase class size,” Dunn said. “If you are up to 30 students, (is the state) going to accommodate that. That’s a lot children for one person to monitor.
“It will definitely impact the mastery of skills and instruction.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.