Groton Classrooms: Is It Crowded In Here?

Five Groton schools have classes that exceed the number of students recommended by the Board of Education.

The Board of Education meets tonight and is expected to discuss possible solutions.

The recommended student-teacher ratio is 25 to 1 in the elementary grades, and 20 to 1 in kindergarten.

Average classes are larger at these schools and in these grades (figures include special education students who spend a portion of the day in the class): At Northeast Academy, 27 to 1 in second grade; at Charles Barnum, 25.5 to 1 in third grade and 23 to 1 in kindergarten; at Pleasant Valley, 23 to 1 in kindergarten; at S.B. Butler, 22 to 1 in kindergarten; and at Fitch Middle School, 26.4 to 1 in sixth grade.

Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School is at 25 to 1, but Kadri said the school’s students have more needs so classes may need assistance.

“We have had so many new enrollments since the start of school we’ve just been sitting here waiting for it to end,” Superintendent Paul Kadri said. “ . . .We can’t just react immediately because we have to kind of see where the dust settles and see where it’s going.”

Enrollment is about 140 students higher than last year, and 100 more than the district expected. Kadri said he believes the increase is due to military families moving into the area.

He said solving the problem is complicated because some schools have no space for more classes and there’s no money budgeted for more staff.

Northeast Academy, for instance, was built with four fewer classrooms than it was originally designed for to keep the project within its budget, Kadri said. As a result, he said it’s often tight on space.

Melissa Baker, who has a son in second grade at Northeast, said there are 28 children in her son’s class. She said she’s volunteered at the school and is happy with it, but is concerned about class size.

“It’s a big transition year for these kids,” she said. She said students are learning material that's a grade ahead of what she learned as a student, and they have technology to learn as well. Her husband, Gary, is co-chair of the school's parent teacher organization.

Northeast had four first grade classes last year, and this year has three second grades. The school also houses two preschool classrooms.

School Board member Rita Volkmann said she visited the second grade at Northeast last week after hearing from parents. She said she's glad they made their thoughts known, and said she's concerned about class size.

“That is high for second grade, so I‘m hoping we can make some adjustments,” she said.

Various options are on the table, Kadri said.

At Northeast, he said the district is considering pulling a group of second graders out of the class during language arts - almost like a temporary fourth class - and having the reading coach teach the students during that time.

At Catherine Kolnaski, the school may use additional Title 1 funding to deal with crowding by hiring additional staff or bringing in a tutor, Kadri said.

At Butler, Groton may move half-day kindergarten students to Northeast Academy, because classes are smaller in that grade at the school, he said.

Northeast Academy Principal Paul Esposito said administrators are aware of the concerns.

“I do know that the message had been heard," he said. "And I do know that we’re all working on it to make things better."