In an effort to increase transparency and support student achievement, the Hopkinton School Board is considering implementing a class size policy for the school district.
The policy, which has never been formally implemented before, aims to provide direction and clarity for school boards, families, and residents regarding staffing decisions and the hiring of additional teachers, said Andrea Folsom, the school board chair.
“Having a class size policy means that no one is guessing why different decisions have been made,” said Folsom. “We felt that a class size policy would really help get everyone on the same page so folks would understand current and future decisions that we were making.”
In the academic year of 2019-2020, the Hopkinton school district had an enrollment of 15.5 students in kindergarten, while grades one and two had an average enrollment of 15.8 students, and grades three to six had an average enrollment of 18.8 students.
During Tuesday’s school board meeting, the policy committee presented the second draft of the class size policy that breaks down class sizes by building and grade level for instructional benefits.
The proposed policy follows the lead of Bow and Hampstead school districts by limiting kindergarten class sizes to a maximum of 18 students, which is the smallest class size outlined in the draft.
“For our youngest and newest learners, having smaller class sizes is important for really the best education that we feel,” said Folsom. “They can get a lot of opportunities for one on one interactions as they are learning how to learn.”
For grades one through three, the proposed policy mirrors Concord’s by setting a limit of 21 students per classroom. Meanwhile, classrooms for sixth to twelfth grade will not exceed 25 students according to the policy draft.
The school board does not anticipate the new class size policy to add more teachers to the district, and for classes like gym or chorus, the 25-student limit will not apply. However, when academic class sizes exceed the guidelines, the staff, administration, and school board will review available options and recommendations.
For classes that fall below 15 students at any grade level, there would be a discussion among the leadership.
The third read of the draft will be done during a school board meeting either this month or in June.
