Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9411240010
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S26 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
While many Roanoke elementary schools have smaller classes this year because of state disparity funds, a few schools have larger classes.
Consider Raleigh Court Elementary School.
When school opened last month, the second-grade classes had 17 students for each teacher. That was below the state mandates for schools that were eligible for state disparity funds.
But Clark Vandergrift, Raleigh Court's principal, soon discovered that the low ratio was too good to last.
Now, because of the shuffle of teachers that was required to meet new state mandates and an unexpected growth in enrollment at another school, two second-grade classes at Raleigh Court have 25 students per teacher.
Some Raleigh Court parents are upset with the change, especially because it came after the school year began. They want the school to provide a teacher's aide in the large classes..
In schools where more than 50 percent of the students receive free or reduced-priced lunches, the state requires a ratio of one teacher per 18 students.
In schools where the number of students qualifying for subsidized meals is between 25 and 50 percent, there must be no more than 20 students per teacher on average.
The Raleigh Court change was triggered by an unexpected increase in enrollment at Morningside Elementary, which was closed for renovations during the past school year. Raleigh Court lost a teacher to Morningside.
"It would have been nice to keep the small classes, but we couldn't keep them with needs in other schools," Vandergrift said Monday.
One of the second-grade classes was split between the other two, leaving them with 25 each.
Vandergrift said the school still meets the mandates despite the large classes. Raleigh Court must have an an average of one teacher per 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, and no classes with more than 25 students.
"We are still below the 20-to-1 ratio for K-3 throughout the school," Vandergrift said.
Some parents were angry that the move came after their children had become acquainted with their teacher and classmates.
Carlyn Ebert, who has a child in second grade, said some parents are upset, but they don't want to make waves.
"It is unfortunate that this happened. It seems like they would have known what the enrollment would be," she said.
But school administrators said it was difficult to project Morningside's enrollment because it was closed last year.
Free and reduced-priced lunches are considered to be an index of poverty and the number of at-risk children.
The city received $1 million this year to hire 25 additional teachers to provide the smaller classes in schools with high concentrations of children from low-income families.
Educators say the individual attention in smaller classes in kindergarten through third grade helps at-risk students do better.
Two second-grade classes from Wasena Elementary School are attending Raleigh Court this year because Wasena is closed for renovation. The Wasena classes have 17 students per teacher. Some Raleigh Court students could have opted for the smaller Wasena classes, but they chose not to.
Vandergrift said this is the first time he has lost a teacher after the school year began.
Ebert said the parents were considering taking their complaints to the School Board at one point, but that is uncertain now.
The General Assembly provided the disparity funds to help reduce the gap in school spending between wealthy suburban counties, and rural counties and financially strapped cities. The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that the state's school funding formula is constitutional, but the General Assembly has provided more money for cities and rural counties.
by CNB