Chapter 4

CURRENT MCPS INITIATIVES TO LOWER CLASS SIZE

Office of Legislative Oversight

IV. CURRENT MCPS INITIATIVES TO LOWER CLASS SIZE

A. MCPS' Three-Year Initiative to Reduce the Number of Large Classes

In October 1996, the Board of Education adopted a three-year initiative to reduce the number of classes larger than the Board's maximum class size guidelines by restoring the 123.8 classroom teacher positions that were eliminated in 1995. The plan calls for budgeting $1.7 million in fiscal years 1998, 1999, and 2000 for additional classroom teachers.

In FY 1998, the first year of the initiative, MCPS' approved budget included $1,654,000 to add 41.2 classroom teachers to the school system. Of the teachers added, MCPS distributed 18.3 teachers to elementary schools, 9.1 teachers to middle schools, and 13.8 teachers to high schools. MCPS distributed the additional teacher positions based on the classroom teacher formulas in the staffing guidelines.

On August 25, 1997, the Board of Education adopted a resolution to request a FY 98 emergency appropriation of $1.7 million from the Council to accelerate the Board's three year plan to reduce the number of oversized classes. The County Executive is reviewing the request and preparing a recommendation. The Council has not yet formally reviewed this request.

On October 27, 1997, the Superintendent reported to the Board of Education that he had identified additional resources to fund the emergency appropriation request. According to the Superintendent, end of fiscal year 1997 operating budget transactions resulted in a $2.0 million fund balance. Since the County Council assumed a $1.0 million fund balance in the FY 98 adopted operating budget, there is a $1.0 million surplus that MCPS can use to fund the Board's emergency appropriation request. The Superintendent recommended that the Board request the Council move ahead with the emergency appropriation using this funding source. Again, the Council has not yet formally reviewed this request.

Meanwhile, the County Council's Education Committee requested that the Board submit a long term plan to reduce the number of classes larger than the Board's maximum class size guidelines. The Board of Education directed the Superintendent to consider enhancements to the current three year plan to reduce the number of oversized classes. MCPS intended to present the revised plan as part of the recommended FY 99 operating budget.

B. The Superintendent's FY 1999 Recommendations to Lower Class Size In December 1997, the Superintendent presented his fiscal year 1999 Recommended Operating Budget to the Board of Education. The budget includes a $9.2 million plan to add 238 classroom teaching positions in FY 99 to address large class sizes in elementary reading, middle school mathematics, and high school algebra classes. MCPS' description of the Superintendent's proposal stated that it is intended to "ensure independent reading by grade three, improve the opportunity for advanced studies in mathematics among middle school students, and increase the number of students completing Algebra I by the end of ninth grade." The Superintendent's plan would:

• Add 104 classroom teachers in directed reading activities with students in Grades I and 2 next year and another 52 teachers in each of the following two years to reduce the size of directed reading instruction in Grades I and 2 to a student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
• Add 33 teachers in middle schools to improve mathematics proficiency and encourage more students to complete Algebra I before high school.
• Add 17 teaching positions to reduce class size in high school Algebra I classes to student-teacher ratio of 20 to 1.
• Add 43 classroom teaching positions to reduce oversized classes in the high schools.
• Add 41 classroom teaching positions to complete the Board's three-year class size reduction initiative.

According to the Superintendent's proposal, MCPS will allocate these additional teachers based on the MCPS staffing guidelines.