RD27 - Status of the Primary Class Size Reduction Program


Executive Summary:
Pursuant to the requirements of Item 146, paragraph C. 8. of the 2004 Appropriation Act (Chapter 4, 2004 Acts of Assembly, Special Session 1), the Department of Education collected information from school divisions on the reduced student-to-teacher ratios and maximum class sizes for grades kindergarten through three for all schools eligible for funding under the program. In order to receive state incentive funding for reduced class sizes, school divisions must meet student-to-teacher ratio and class size requirements in each school eligible to participate in the program, based on free lunch eligibility.

The objective of the Primary Class Size Reduction program is to provide additional funding as an incentive for school divisions to reduce class sizes below the required class sizes established in the Standards of Quality (SOQ) for grades kindergarten through three.

As of the date of this report, 809 of 812 schools met the requirements for state funding based on the lowest student-to-teacher ratio for which they qualified. State payments to school divisions for the Primary Class Size Reduction program in fiscal year 2005 are estimated to be $65,893,705.