DESPITE SLOWER GAINS, CLASSROOMS STILL CROWDED

JACKSON, Mo. -- No relief is in sight this year for already crowded Jackson classrooms.

The district has experienced an enrollment boom over the past decade, averaging about 3 percent growth annually.

Schools superintendent Ron Anderson said growth is projected to fall short of the average when students return to classes next month, but almost 100 students will be added to the district's enrollment of 4,550.

Typically, growth ranges from 120 to 140 students annually.

Growth of any amount will mean squeezing more bodies into classrooms that already are bulging. Especially tight are grades four through five, where class sizes average between 28 and 32 students, said Anderson.

"Generally speaking, the state would like to see a two-to-four-student drop," he said. "But to do anything beyond what we're doing, we'd have to have some additional revenue."

Tax-hike proposal

More money would be available this year if voters approve a 25-cent operating tax increase Aug. 7. Anderson said the tax increase, which requires a simple majority for passage, would boost funding for expenses and salaries for additional teachers. The measure also would fund planned increases to library budgets districtwide to help meet state requirements for print and electronic resources.

The district hires about eight additional teachers annually, but last year principals requested 18 additional teachers.

Ideally, about 23 teachers would be hired to help reduce class sizes, but the additional tax funding won't support such a hike in the budget, Anderson said.

"That's ideal. I'm not proposing that because we can't afford it," he said.

Jackson resident Bruce Holden's children attended Jackson Middle School and R.O. Hawkins Junior High last year.

While he was unsure how large his children's classes became, Holden said conditions are less than optimal when classrooms are cramped.

"When it comes to class sizes, the smaller the better. Any educator will tell you that," said Holden, a former teacher.

Problems cited

Junior high math teacher Tracey Williams said her classes are "almost always over 25 and much of the time over 30" students. Controlling behavior, one-on-one instruction, and even physically fitting students in classrooms is a challenge, she said.

"The biggest thing I can think of, especially with math instruction, is being able to notice who is having trouble and being able to do whatever needs to be done to help that person," said Williams. "When the class is crowded, by the time you figure out who is having trouble, a lot of time it's too late. With smaller class sizes, you can notice it earlier and have a better chance to help that child."

Anderson said class sizes have grown as school officials have put off hiring additional teachers to keep down the budget.

Revenue growth has not kept pace with the additional expenses that come with educating more students, he said, and reducing salaries is the easiest way to reduce the budget significantly.

"Our revenues are not sufficient to cover those expenditures without going into the balances," said Anderson. "If the tax increase passes, we would have adequate income to do some additional staffing and take care of those other needs.".