ARTICLE 14: CLASS SIZE

The School Committee and the LEA recognize that class size is an important factor in quality education.

Elementary
A. The School Committee will make every effort to maintain the following building-wide teacher/pupil ratios for the duration of the Agreement:

Kindergarten 1-18
Grade 1 1-22
Grades 2-5 1-24

The teacher/pupil ratios will be based upon the projected number of students in the budget guidelines for the coming year.

B. Principals, librarians, reading specialists, art specialists, music specialists, and physical education specialists, foreign language teacher, speech and language pathologists, special needs teachers, counselors, and other professional support personnel shall be excluded in the computation of the teacher/pupil ratios.

C. Children in substantially separate placements will be incorporated in the mainstreamed homeroom core lists for the computation of the teacher/pupil ratios.

D. In the event that an elementary classroom exceeds the following maxima listed below on October 1 of the school year, or on any day following October 1 of that school year, the teacher will be provided with two (2) hours per day of instructional aide assistance. The scheduling of this aide time shall be determined by the School Council.

Kindergarten 20
Grade 1 24
Grades 2-5 26

If any class exceeds the maxima by twenty percent (20%) or more, the class will be split. The above maxima apply to "home room" class size and not to class sizes as a result of redeployment of students for specific subjects as mutually determined between and among teachers.

E. At least one full-time instructional aide will be employed at each elementary building. The primary purpose for this position is to meet the provisions of Section D for classroom teachers and special teachers (physical education, art, music, and foreign language). Special teachers whose class size exceeds the maxima are entitled to instructional aide assistance during those class periods.

Middle School
A. The School Committee will make every effort to maintain the following building-wide teacher/pupil ratios for the duration of the Agreement:

Grades 6-8 1-16

B. In computing the Grades 6-8 ratio, special needs teachers, instructional material specialists, reading specialists, counselors, nurses and the non-teaching time of department heads, principals,
assistant principals, department chairpersons and coordinators shall be excluded. The computations shall be based upon the projected number of students in the budget guidelines for the coming year.

High School
A. The School Committee will make every effort to maintain the following building-wide teacher/pupil ratios for the duration of the Agreement:

Grades 9-12 1-17

B. In computing the Grades 9-12 ratio, instructional material specialists, reading specialists, special needs teachers, counselors, nurses and the non-teaching time of department heads, principals, associate principals, assistant principals, department chairpersons, coordinators and shall be excluded. The computations shall be based upon the projected number of students in the budget guidelines for the coming year.