Big Classes this Year? Parents, Teachers Have Concerns about Numbers

Two parents and a teacher told the Strongsville School Board Thursday night they are concerned about the size of kindergarten and first-grade classes in two schools.

Superintendent John Krupinski said one situation has already been resolved, but said his hands are tied in the other.

Parents Kristie Zunker and Mindy Wahl said they discovered their children's kindergarten class at will have 30 pupils this year.

Both said they are worried that their kids -- and others in the class -- would not get the attention they need because of the large class.

And Joan Pratt, a teacher here for 28 years, said she and the other first-grade teacher at will each have 28 kids in their classrooms this year, while other schools will have much smaller classes.

Pratt noted that and Kinsner have a similar number of first-graders, but they are split among three teachers, with most first-grade classes in the district averaging 20 to 22 students.

Krupinski, at the meeting, told the parents his documents show there are only 27 pupils in the Kinsner kindergarten class, which is the maximum the district allows for kindergartens, and promised to investigate.

He said Friday morning he found there are actually only 27 kids in the class.

"There were some duplicate names on the list," Krupinski said.

He had less cheerful news for Pratt, saying the district is not in a position to bring in a new first-grade teacher at Chapman, even though the two classes are at their 28-student capacity.

Krupinski said Chapman's enrollment surged with late enrollment in recent weeks. He also said classrooms in several higher grades at various schools have reached or neared their 30-student caps.

"Currently, we would not be able to add another section" for first grade or for the higher grades because of the district's tight financial situation, he said.