TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hillsborough Coping With Class-Size Amendment

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARILYN BROWN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

Florida's class-size amendment, approved by voters in 2002, continues to influence school assignments.

By 2009-10, each kindergarten through third-grade classroom will be limited to 18 students, classrooms in grades four through eight will be limited to 22, and high school core classes such as English and science will be limited to 25.

In 2008-09, however, districts may still adhere to each school's classroom averages, the same rule in place in 2007-08. To keep schools within that average, the district has:

•Created larger classes, in some cases with two or three teachers to lower the pupil-to-teacher ratio.

•Planned to possibly cap more than half the schools projected to be at or near capacity in 2008-09. Families other than those living within the school's boundary may not be allowed to enroll except in cases of extreme hardship.

•Continued to build dozens of wings of new classrooms; at least eight new schools are slated to open in 2008 and 2009.

•Planned reassignments based on new schools and the need to fill schools that have available seats.

Two new elementary schools and one middle school are opening in 2008-09: Doris Ross Reddick Elementary School opens in Wimauma, Sergeant Paul R. Smith Middle School opens in Citrus Park and Sylvia Rodriguez Kimbell Elementary School opens in Temple Heights.

In addition, wings of between 10 and 24 classrooms are slated to open at 37 schools.

In the 2009-10 school year, a middle school and an elementary school will open in Lake Hutto in south Hillsborough, George Steinbrenner High School will open in the Lutz area and a high school and elementary school will open in the Dover area off Interstate 4, plus eight more wings of classrooms will be added at schools in the district.
Marilyn Brown
FINDING A SCHOOL

•To find your district-assigned school, go to www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/choice/ attendance.asp or call (813) 272-4692.

•If you provide your own transportation, you may apply for any school with space under the district choice plan. A lottery determines acceptance.

•Choice hardship assignments are open to parents in severe hardship cases. Class-size caps may make it tougher to get this option.

•Consider district magnet schools, which have ongoing enrollment, or public charter schools.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT