Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 28, 1994 TAG: 9402280099
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLES CITY LENGTH: Medium
While some sit hunched over their writing assignments, others raise their hands awaiting help from the teacher as she pauses to check a child's spelling. A few wriggly children pop out of their seats and walk around the room - one balancing a book on his head.
"Boys and girls, you have to sit down," Grove admonishes as she moves around the room.
After the pupils file out to their buses, the teacher talks about feeling "pulled from every different angle possible" by her students.
"If I had at least five less that would be a tremendous difference," she said.
Across the hall, Paula Howes has 21 pupils in her second-grade class but admits she'd prefer 15.
"I can't give them the individual attention they need. I have a lot of needy children," she said.
More than half the pupils at Charles City County Elementary School are so poor that they participate in a federal free lunch program. Many are being raised by single mothers or grandparents.
Under a $103 million plan nearing approval by the General Assembly, this rural school and most other elementary schools in Virginia could get money to hire more kindergarten through third-grade teachers. They could have 18 or fewer pupils per class.
All but 14 of 131 school divisions would qualify for some of the $76 million designated for reducing class sizes. Those left out are small cities and rural counties where few children qualify for the free lunch program.
In 63 school divisions, every elementary school would get some money because at least a quarter of the pupils receive free lunches.
Norfolk would get the most money - $7.8 million for all 35 of its elementary schools.
Members of a state commission investigating disparity in educational funding "were blown away at some of the schools in Norfolk," said George Raiss, a Norfolk school spokesman.
"In virtually all of the schools aligned with public housing projects all the kids are on free or reduced lunch," he said.
Raiss said Norfolk already tries to keep classes at 20 to 23 pupils per teacher. The city would have to hire nine or 10 teachers to meet the new goals, he said.
The Virginia Education Association estimates that the disparity plan would create at least 450 new teaching jobs in the state.
"We certainly don't think it's going to completely address the issue but it's an important first step," said Rob Jones, VEA president.
Research on class size has "shown that the students that most benefit from smaller classes are the students in lower socioeconomic categories," he said.
It's hard to predict the plan's impact because localities don't have to take the state aid if they are unwilling to put up local matching funds, Jones said.
Another problem could be finding classroom space for the smaller classes, he said.
Del. William Howell, R-Stafford, agreed the plan could be impractical in crowded school divisions.
"You've got to build more classes," he said. "It will be interesting to see how many will be following through on it."
Kenneth Walker, head of a coalition of poor schools suing the state over disparity, called the funding plan "a very positive step. It won't correct the disparities but I'm encouraged that some effort is being made."
Walker, superintendent of Halifax-South Boston schools, said his division has elementary classes that run close to the maximum of 30 pupils allowed by the state. He said he expects local officials will seek the state aid.
Other divisions, however, said they have been able to keep classes small without state help.
In Fairfax County, many of the 38 elementary schools that would qualify for aid already have about 15 pupils per teacher, said Judith Singleton, a lobbyist for Fairfax schools. She was unsure how much of the state aid the county would take.
Several local school officials said they definitely would seek the money.
Charles City County School Superintendent Willie Townes said the money would enable him to hire two or three teachers and get classes down to about 16 pupils per teacher.
"We're going to go for it," he said.
by CNB