LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Richard Locke got 20 parents of kindergarten students to sign a petition asking for two sections for when their children enter first grade next year. 

 

The class is expected to have 21 students in a single class. The parents are asking the School Committee to open up a few more school-choice slots and hire an additional teacher to have two, smaller classes.

 

Locke handed the petition to the committee on Tuesday after about a half-dozen parents pleaded the case during the budget hearing.

 

"We do believe that 21 [pupils] would be way too large of a class for first grade," Locke told the committee. 

 

Despite the urging, the School Committee did not open any additional choice slots. Committee members said they don't like to add school-choice slot to justify adding another teacher but rather to fill what otherwise would be empty seats.

 

"I don't vote to create a second section and hire a teacher," Chairwoman Regina DiLego said. 

 

The committee has the ability to accept students from other districts through the school-choice program. The state has set a figure of $5,000 — unless there are special needs — which is sent from the district the student resides in to the welcoming school.

 

Some in town have opposed the practice altogether because $5,000 is considered woefully inadequate to the cost to educate a child. Others say if used properly, it can serve as revenue by filling empty spots that are already being paid for by the town because of small class sizes. 

 

Superintendent Douglas Dias says he is conservative when it comes to accepting students because it dilutes the town's culture. Plus students are carried through the grades and sent to Mount Greylock Regional School so class sizes there have to be considered. He'd rather see people move to town and pay taxes to send their children to the school rather than send them from outside of the district. 

 

"The purpose is for us to fill seats that would otherwise go empty," Dias said.

 

Financially, Dias said, "I don't believe we should rely on school choice to fund staffing." He would rather have those choice funds operate as a reserve.

 

Parents and the teachers' union, however, say in this case the extra students will benefit Lanesborough students by creating two, smaller classes and the additional choice students will help offset the cost of another teacher.

 

Further, many said they were concerned that another family could move to town and further bump that 21-pupil number up further, urging the committee to be "proactive" in setting the groundwork for two sections. 

 

"It's a mistake. We need to get it up to 24, 25 for those 21 Lanesborough kids," said Lanesborough Education Association President Sean MacDonald, adding that those early years are "critical" for development.

 

The School Committee did opt to open up seven choice spots, however. The school will open up three spots for the third grade, bringing the class up to 34 in two sections; three for the fourth grade bringing the size up to 32 for two sections; and one for the fifth grade bringing that up to 35 in two sections.

 

The committee also wants to revisit the possibility of opening spots in the incoming kindergarten in a few months when enrollment numbers become more clear.

 

"The kindergarten is one that we will watch and if that is low, then I'll come back and propose a few more slots," Dias said. 

 

The kindergarten class is projected to have 27 students in two sections. However, Dias said kindergarten and prekindergarten are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to enrollment figures. DiLego said she's seen years when the school has had as many as seven students show up for classes that weren't expected because the families weren't listed on the town census data.

 

Resident Michelle Johnson, however, said she doesn't see any reason to wait to open up those slots. She said three additional choice slots would create $15,000 in additional revenue, giving a little more of a buffer should something happen. If not, she said that money could be spent to investing in technology.

 

"I think it is a good way to help with uncertainty in the budget," Johnson said. "I think we are missing a revenue opportunity."

 

The School Committee ultimately opted not to open spots but did say it was open to future considerations. The School Committee also rejected Dias' request for one open slot for the second grade. 

 

"I'm not comfortable with the one in second. We are already at 17," DiLego said.

 

With a single class of 17 expected, the School Committee didn't want to open up any more slots just in case more families move to town, driving up the class size.

 

For the 2016/2017 school year, the seven choice spots being added to the existing 13 already enrolled for a total of 20. In the current year, there are 19 choice students but six of them will be heading to Mount Greylock Regional School.