Budget Crunch May Affect Class Size Amendment

The final step to reduce class sizes may be put on hold as the state grapples with budget challenges due to the faltering economy.

This school year class sizes are calculated by a school-wide average, but in 2009-10 every classroom must meet the class-size requirements or a school district could face financial penalties.

Thus far the price for smaller classes has reached $13 billion state-wide and more money, classrooms and teachers would be needed to meet the class size limits in every classroom.

"I don't think we will meet class size; we can't meet it under the full implementation ... in this environment," Highlands County Superintendent of Schools Wally Cox said at Tuesday's budget workshop.

The only good news from the Special Legislative Session is that the state education commissioner can waive 50 percent of the penalty, he said. Highlands County has never been penalized.

The class size issue will be a big thing this Legislative session, Cox said. "I would call it a true 'wild card' in this upcoming session."

He has heard from authoritative people on both sides of the issue - some saying it will be fully implemented while others believing the school-wide average requirement will be maintained.

In its 2009 Legislative platform, the Florida School Boards Association recommends suspending class size requirements and related penalties for noncompliance,

Also, the association calls for a financial impact study for the costs of class size implementation to date to be presented to the Legislature no later than the beginning of the 2010 Legislative Session.

The Florida Association of School Administrators calls for a delay in full implementation.

But, the Florida Education Association (state teachers union) believes there should be no delay in full implementation.

"We think that the voters were pretty clear about implementing this when they put it in the Constitution in the 2002 election," Spokesman Mark Pudlow said Friday.

The sponsors of the amendment said it would cost $10 billion to $12 billion to reduce class sizes, he said. The actual cost has been close to the sponsors' estimate.

"We think it's time to go ahead and implement the will of the voters on that," Pudlow said.

Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, filed a resolution on Feb. 17 that would halt the state's class-size reduction effort at the school average. It also would set a classroom limit for student enrollment slightly above the average.

On Feb. 18, Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, filed a similar bill.

With voter approval, the state constitution was amended in November 2002 to require a maximum number of students in core-curricula courses assigned to a teacher.

The class size maximums for the three grade groupings are as follows: 18 students in prekindergarten through grade three, 22 students in grades four through eight and 25 students in grades nine through 12.