Fiscal Year 2017 → Question 1

What is the cost to restore class size to the level in FY 2009? Provide the cost of restoring class size by elementary, middle, and high school.

Question#: 14

ANSWER:

Class size guidelines for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 and FY 2017 are as follows:

  FY 2009 FY 2017
(recommended budget)
Kindergarten (focus schools including Title I) 16 18
Kindergarten (non-focus schools) 25 26
Grades 1 and 2 (focus schools including Title I) 17 18
Grade 1 and 2 (non-focus schools) 26 28
Grade 3 26 28
Grades 4 and 5 28 30
Middle and High School (Core Content) 32 33
Middle and High School (Required English) 28 29

It is important to note that when the FY 2016 reduction was taken in secondary schools, we did not change the class sizes but did change the formula to allocate staffing to schools. This was because the changes we differentiated so that higher Free and Reduced-price Meals Systems (FARMS) schools had a formula change equal to .5 full-time equivalent (FTE) and lower FARMS schools had a formula change equal to 1.0 FTE. The calculations below represent reinstating the formulas from FY 2009.

Cost of Restoring Class Size Reductions Since FY 2009

Grade Level Change FTEs Salary Benefits Total
Kindergarten Focus—16 to 18
Non-focus—25 to 26		 31 $1,636,645 $474,954 $2,111,599
Grades 1–2 Focus—17 to 18
Non-focus—26 to 28		 70 3,695,650 1,072,478 4,768,128
Grade 3 26 to 28 26 1,372,670 398,349 1,771,019
Grades 4–5 28 to 30 54 2,850,930 827,340 3,678,270
Middle School Core Content—32 to 33
Required English—28 to 29		 89 4,698,755 1,363,579 6,062,334
High School Core Content—32 to 33
Required English—28 to 29		 113.7 6,002,792 1,742,010 7,744,802
Total   383.7 $20,257,442 $5,878,710 $26,136,152

These calculations are based on FY 2017 projections by school and grade level and only take into account the reductions for class sizes guidelines. They do not account for other reductions that occurred since FY 2009.