State saves when districts ditch small classes
Blog by John Fensterwald/Educated Guess
The state is counting on districts abandoning the class-size reduction program to help bail out the state budget this year and next. Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget assumes that it can save $340 million this year and an additional $200 million next year, because districts will find themselves too pinched to accept the state subsidy. The state’s declining expenditure is a cagey form of a cut. For 14 years, the state has provided money – up to $1,071 per child – if school districts agreed to a maximum of 20 students per class for kindergarten through third grade. This year, the Legislature loosened the rules, and agreed to pay a partial subsidy for classes with up to 25 kids. (more...)