Class Sizes 'Slightly Smaller' in Osseo School District

On average, elementary class sizes in the are “a bit smaller than last year,” according to Assistant Superintendent Keith Jacobus.

He made a presentation at the Osseo School Board meeting Oct. 18. Each year district staff provides a preliminary review of class sizes in the district as of Oct. 1.

Elementary

At the elementary level, the average classroom size varies “slightly” from school to school at the elementary level, as outlined in graphics provided to the school board

Schools such as and reported lower average class sizes, which they used state compensatory funds to accomplish. For example, there is an average of about 16 students per kindergarten class at Elm Creek Elementary. , which doesn’t receive compensatory dollars, averages about 24 kindergarten students per classroom as of Oct. 1.

In comparison with other Maple Grove schools and grade levels, Elm Creek Elementary kindergarten through third grade and and kindergartens have the smallest average classroom sizes.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, fifth- and sixth-grade classes at Fernbrook Elementary, fifth-grade classes at , and fourth- and fifth-grade classes at on average had more than 31 students or more per classroom.

At least half of the elementary classrooms within the district's schools in Maple Grove averaged 25 or more students as of Oct. 1. Additional classroom support and instructional support was provided district-wide, but not accounted for class size average numbers shared during the presentation.

“There are other supports that come into play other than class size to help those that need more intervention and personalized learning,” Jacobus said to the school board.

Secondary

Secondary-school average classroom sizes in the Osseo School District varied by school as well. For schools serving primarily Maple Grove students, the breakdown of average class sizes as of Oct. 1 was as follows:

School

English

Math

Social

Science

Maple Grove Junior High

30.71

29.30

32

31.44

Osseo Junior High

30.38

30.33

30.76

32.15

Maple Grove Senior High 

28.27

28.55

31.63

28.70

Osseo Senior High

26.31

23.38

25.46

23.05

Elective classes as well as reading and math intervention classes were not included.

“At all levels, we have additional support for students to help personalize their learning opportunities,” Jacobus said.

After the presentation, School Board Director Kim Green questioned whether funds disbursed in the spring [2011] impacted class sizes. The funds added 15 teachers, Jacobus said, and were also used to increase part-time behavior intervention teachers to full-time status at larger schools and add a section of full-day kindergarten at Palmer Lake Elementary.

Editor’s note: For a specific breakdown of each school class size average, see a PDF attached to this story which was prepared and shared by the Osseo School District staff for the ISD 279 School Board Oct. 18 meeting.