EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Some elementary classrooms in El Paso ISD could be more crowded this school year as the district considers raising class ratio limits and preparing to seek state waivers to exceed the required student-teacher ratio.
State rules cap pre-K through fourth-grade classes at 22 students.
If a classroom goes above that limit, the district must request a waiver.
El Paso ISD Chief of Schools Mark Ramirez said the district has routinely sought waivers in recent years, with class sizes fluctuating above the cap.
“It varies, 22, 23, 24,” Ramirez said.
Julia Spencer reports on ‘Lost in the numbers’: EPISD parents worry as some class sizes increase (Credit: KFOX14)
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He added, “We’ve roughly averaged around 60 or 70 waivers that we submitted for the past four years.”
This year, the district estimates it could seek exceptions for about 115 classrooms, nearly double its recent average.
The increase comes after rounds of layoffs across the district tied to its financial exigency.
The district’s consolidation plan also calls for two additional school closures this year.
Ramirez said consolidation is one factor affecting class sizes.
“We closed a school, consolidating schools, and we’re trying just to maximize the space that we do have,” he said.
For classrooms with 25 or more students, teachers can receive a $5,000 stipend.
Ramirez said the district plans to meet with teachers in those situations.
“We’ll be meeting with those teachers and ask them for a stipend, if they wanna continue with that 25,” he said.
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Some parents said the issue goes beyond the extra money.
Vanessa J., an EPISD parent with a student at Polk Elementary who did not want to share her last name, said larger classes can make it harder for teachers to connect with every student.
“You worry about your kid getting lost in the numbers for sure,” she said.
She also questioned whether the stipend makes up for the added workload.
“It’s probably pennies compared to having more kids in the classroom,” she said. “I’m sure it’s 5,000 seems like it’s not enough.”
Other parents who wanted to remain anonymous also said they worry larger classes could mean less attention for their children and that teachers could end up overwhelmed.
The district said it will submit final waiver requests to the state at the end of September, the deadline is September 30th.
Parents will also be notified if their child is in a classroom above the 22-to-1 ratio and when the state approves that waiver.
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