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Mothers worry over class size in Fort Cherry school
dkeller@observer-reporter.com
McDONALD - Several Fort Cherry parents want another teacher added to the elementary school because they say the class sizes in third grade are too large.
The parents are concerned about one-on-one interaction between teacher and student, discipline and how well the students learn. They met with Superintendent Robert Dinnen this week to discuss the matter, and seven mothers spoke about it at Wednesday's school board meeting.
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Since the state recommends a ratio of 17 students for every teacher, Lesley Baird asked the board to hire another teacher. The Midway mother suggested looking for additional grants if money is the issue.
Fort Cherry mother Carol Staley has a second-grader. She said she's just as concerned as the parents with students in third grade this year.
"We're concerned about it, and we really want you to pay attention to it," said Staley, of McDonald.
Tina Cottrill, who has second- and fourth-graders, said it's a serious issue. Last year, when a substitute was in her oldest son's class, he shorted the electrical system in the third-grade wing with a paper clip because no one was watching. That class was smaller, she said.
"If a substitute can't handle a class of that size, how are they going to handle a class of a larger size?" Cottrill said.
Dinnen said the board discussed the issue last year during budget hearings before deciding to put an additional teacher in the fifth grade. He said third-grade students are improving significantly in reading and math.
Over the last decade, the district lost 220 kids, Dinnen said. In the same time, the elementary staff was reduced from 34 to 31.
School board member Brant T. Miller said he doesn't know what the answer is, but that 26 students is too many for a third-grade classroom.
"I can't see how I can holler at (the administration) about PSSA scores and not give them the resources they need to get the scores where I think they need to be," he said.
Board member Cynthia Eger Gaskill said that since scores show third-graders improving, it seems like the biggest issue is discipline. She said the issue should be researched more before a decision is made.
School board member Elmo B. Cecchetti II said the discussion needs to carry over into the budget hearings next month. The board will discuss the budget in April, approve a preliminary budget in May and adopt a final budget in June.
