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Schools

Los Altos School Board Discusses Options as it Faces Larger Deficit Days

Combo classes—or increased class sizes—could close the gap in the budget.

The Los Altos School District board heard last week how the projected budget deficit had deepened from a $4.5 million shortfall to a possible $6.5 million shortfall.

According to Randall Kenyon, assistant superintendent of business services, $2 million has been added to the , which include $1 million each from an additional cut to Basic Aid districts like Los Altos, and the maximum projected state funding cuts to the Los Altos School District. See the slides to the right.

Looking at ways to save money, district staff examined possibilities of combination classes, as well as the possibility of keeping the same class sizes flowing into the next school year.

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Combination classes, where there are two grades taught by one teacher, are being considered for four schools across the district—Almond, Covington, Oak and Springer, according to Alyssa Gallagher, assistant superintendent of instruction. See the slides to the right.

A kindergarten-first-grade class is being considered for Almond and Covington schools, while a grades two/three combo class is considered for Almond, Covington, Oak and Springer.

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Combo classes are created when it is not possible to add a class to two grades, according to Gallagher. For example, if you have 50 students each in two grades, the school would need six teachers. Or the school could have four teachers in regular, one-grade classrooms, and one teacher with a two-grade class.

“Combination classes can help keep class sizes small and alleviate the need to move families out of their home school,” Gallagher said in her presentation.

One challenge with this scenario of combo classes would be some hesitancy from parents, because it is new, according to Bill Cooper, president of the Los Altos Elementary School Board.

“On the up side, you could make the argument that the younger (or) the lower grade in the combo situation gets a view of the coming year,” Cooper said. “The older kids could be viewed as a positive role models.”

Cooper said the students in these classes are carefully selected as those who are able to work independently well when needed.

“This is not out of the norm; it’s just new to us,” Cooper said, adding that Palo Alto and Cupertino schools have combo classes.

Kenyon presented the board with the opportunity to look at rescinding layoff notices and keeping class sizes the same next year. See the slides above.

“As money becomes available, we’ll begin restoring positions if we can,” Kenyon said.

Class sizes are averaged at 24 in grades K-3 and 30 in grades 4-6 right now. Kenyon said increasing the size to 30 is a way to save money and that the layoff notices were given in grades 4-6 “to achieve maximum savings.”

Over the next two board meetings, May 9 and 23, the board will discuss and decide on priorities, class sizes and the overall budget. The tentative parcel tax results will be in Tuesday night.

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