Class Size Policy

CODE G14
(Mandatory)[1]

It is the intent of the Board to comply with Sections 15 and 16 of Act 153 of 2010 requiring superintendents to work with school boards to develop policy guidelines for minimum and optimal average class sizes in regular and technical education classes.  Class size guidelines will be used to inform annual decisions related to staffing and program offerings.

Implementation

1. The superintendent or his or her designee shall, in consultation with building principals, develop supervisory union wide class minimum, maximum [2] and optimum average class size guidelines that take into account the instructional needs of specific elementary grade intervals and required and elective courses at the secondary level.
2. Class size guidelines in the supervisory union may vary as necessary to reflect differences among school districts due to geography and other factors, such as school size and programmatic needs.
3. The guidelines shall also ensure compliance with state or federal requirements related to matters such as student-teacher ratios, special education, technical education and English Language Learners.
4. The superintendent shall report to the Board at least annually on the implementation of this policy, and shall include in his or her report information related to the use of the guidelines in determining actual class sizes and program offerings in the schools within the supervisory union.
5. This policy shall be posted on the supervisory union’s website and forwarded to the Commissioner of Education by January 15, 2011. [3]

(Note: The footnotes used in this model policy are intended to provide information only. They should not be included as part of the policy adopted by the school board.)

[1] Section 15 Act 153 of 2010 requires superintendents to “work with the school boards of the member districts to develop and implement policies regarding minimum and optimal average class sizes for regular and technical education classes. The policies may be supervisory union-wide3, may be course or grade specific, and may reflect differences among school districts due to geography and other factors.” 16 V.S.A. § 242(5).

[2] Act 153 does not require the inclusion of maximum average class sizes in this policy.

[3] Section 16 of Act 153 of 2010 requires that, by January 15, 2011, each supervisory union and member district board; 1) adopt minimum and optimal average class size policies, 2) post the policy on the supervisory union website, and 3) forward the policy to the Commissioner of Education.