ARTICLE 8: CLASS SIZE
ARTICLE 8: CLASS SIZE8.1 General8.1.1 The Board of Education desires to reduce class sizes where appropriate and will explore ways to accomplish this goal in view of financial and class facility availability.8.1.2 In view of these constraints, class size shall be determined by the district superintendent and in accordance with provisions of the Education Code and Title 5 of the California Administrative Code.8.1.2.1 The following classroom student-teacher maximums are agreed to as guidelines for establishing reasonable class sizes:Class size maximumsK-320 students:1 teacher* 4-635 students: 1 teacher 7-1236 students: 1 teacherSecondary classrooms with peninsular science, laboratory workstations or computer workstations: the student capacity for which the workstations were designed to accommodate.
*Subject to change based on state guidelines, pending current funding levels and availability of facilities.
8.1.2.2 The following are exceptions to the class size maximums in Article 8.1.2.1:K-3PE – maximum of 32 students per 1 adult; A maximum of 80 students per certificated physical education teacher4-6PE – maximum of 35 students per 1 adult; a maximum of 80 students per certificated physical education teacher.4-6Music7-12PE and athletics, technology, leadership, journalism, performing arts (music, band, drama, etc.), yearbook, singleton classes.8.1.2.3 The Association and the District will jointly establish a standing committee to review specific class overloads. Either party may request the committee to convene after the affected unit members and principal have first attempted in good faith to resolve the class overload at the school site. The scheduling of the committee will be made by mutual agreement. An overload is established when a class is in excess of the guidelines as stated in section 8.1.2.1. Committee members will include two (2) Y-CEA members appointed by the Association; the Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources; and the Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services or their designee. The Standing Committee shall not meet earlier than two (2) weeks after the start of the last track in multi-track schools and one (1) week for single-track and traditional schools. The site principal or administrative designee and building representative may elect to participate in an ad hoc, non-voting capacity. Any member of the committee may request a resource person (i.e., parents, students, principals, and/or other community members).The committee shall review the reasons for class size overloads and the alternatives available to alleviate the situation. The committee will then make recommendations to the Superintendent or designee for action. The committee will jointly develop a format for the reporting of cases reviewed and recommendations to the Superintendent or designee.
The Superintendent or designee shall state in writing his/her decision(s) and send copies to the Association, the principal of the affected school site and the teacher(s) involved.
8.2 Elementary8.2.1 Because of financial and facility limitations as well as the requirement for flexibility in providing sound program design, the Board of Education reserves the right to increase or decrease class sizes at any school or classroom location. Nevertheless, the Board of Education recognizes that instructional effectiveness is diminished after regular classroom size in grades K-5 exceeds thirty (30) students.8.2.2 The district will consider educationally sound options to maintain equitable class sizes within grade levels on an intraschool basis, and upon request, provide the Unit Member with a written rationale for student allocation decisions. Equity in this section shall be defined to mean a difference of three (3) students between the largest and smallest classes on any given grade level, except where efforts are made to lower class size for teachers who have been assigned students certified for any special needs program. The District will maintain a growth track at year-round, multi-track schools that may not meet the aforementioned criteria. If a school site experiences enrollment changes, more than one growth track may exist. When additional growth tracks are needed, the Superintendent/designee will discuss this need with the Association.8.2.3 The district will make every effort, where possible, to provide lower class sizes for combination classes when compared with class sizes of single grade level of the same grades involved in the combination class at the site.8.3 Secondary8.3.1 Leadership teams and department chairpersons at the middle, junior high school level and high school will be consulted when feasible by the appropriate school supervisor on the disposition of individual class sizes within their respective departments when the average class size meets or exceeds the ratio of 30 to l or where a need for special facilities exists.8.3.2 When more than one section of the same class exists in the same department, the district will consider educationally sound options to maintain equitable class sizes and upon request provide the unit member with a written rationale for student allocation decisions. Equity in this section shall be defined to mean a difference of five (5) students between the largest and smallest sections of the same class in the same department, except where efforts are made to lower class size for teachers who have been assigned students certified for any special needs program.8.4 Special Students8.4.1 ElementaryIn assigning students to teachers, principals shall give consideration to lower class sizes for teachers who have been assigned students certified for special needs programs. The District shall equalize where possible the distribution on an intraschool basis within the same grade level or where more than one section of a class exists of students who are certified as special needs students.
8.4.2 SecondaryIn assigning students certified for special needs programs to teachers, principals shall give consideration to lower class sizes for those sections containing students certified for the special needs program and other mutually agreed upon students any special needs program.
8.5SpecialistsStaffing for Specialists (psychologists, counselors, and speech therapists) shall be consistent with current district prioritization, subject to enrollment changes, and district needs.
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