Movement underway to repeal class-size amendment

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TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- Seven years ago, Florida voters moved to crack down on overcrowded classrooms with an amendment that put limits on the number of students allowed in each room.

But now, as the amendment has run into problems, a movement is underway to repeal it.

Under the law, classrooms between kindergarten and third grade can't have more than 18 students, grades four through eight can have no more than 22 students, and in high school, classes can't have more than 25 students.

Meeting those limits has become expensive. By next year, many districts may have to hire new teachers to meet the limits.

In years past, calls to repeal the class size amendment have received support in the State House, but the Senate has always been opposed. Now, since there is less money in the state budget for education, insiders said there is a good chance the Senate will support the measure as well.

Parent Greg Mixson said the amendment has been a big mistake, and that he would vote to repeal the amendment.

"You're going to have teachers that can handle more kids sitting around with nothing to do," he said. "Ii think the money would be better spent on providing the teachers who know what they're doing the materials they need to do their jobs with."

Throughout the state, principals have been trying to figure out how to keep classes under the limit, a task that has become even more challenging in the face of deep budget cuts.

At Sail High School in Tallahassee, principal Rosanne Wood has tried to meet the requirements by keeping the size of the average classroom at 25 students. It doesn't exactly meet the limits, but in her mind, it's close enough.

"I think the pressure of keeping that 25 average is a good thing," she said. "I think it helps the Legislature stay tuned to what they need to do, and we don't want our class sizes going up to 35 again."

Wood said that, despite the difficulties, she would vote to keep the amendment in place.

If lawmakers do give their approval, the question could appear on the November 2010 ballot.

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