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Schools Ask For Leeway In Class Size Rules

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By MARILYN BROWN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2008

TAMPA - The economic crisis and practicality have lawmakers and educators in the mood to put the brakes on Florida's class-size amendment for another year.

Even those who favor the constitutional amendment limiting public school class sizes are taking a second look.

"There needs to be some flexibility," Yvonne Lyons, executive director of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, said Wednesday.

The amendment voters approved in 2000 limits class sizes to 18 students per teacher in kindergarten through third grade, 22 in grades four through eight and 25 in high school core classes such as English and math.

Although the amendment says every class must meet the cap by 2010, state legislators determined it would be phased in until an early implementation in 2008-09, then delayed it last year until 2009-10.

With state revenue sinking and the nation's financial crisis, "We're facing a train wreck," state Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said Wednesday. The law has cost $11 billion to hire more teachers and build more classrooms, he said.

"The answer is to amend the Constitution to maintain the schools at a school average," said the chairman of the Senate education committee. Currently, schools can have a schoolwide average equal to the caps.

State Sen. Stephen Wise, chairman of the Senate education appropriations committee, agreed another amendment is needed. It could limit the applicable grades or restrict the date when classes must meet that cap.

Meanwhile, a Hillsborough committee dealing with class size agonized Wednesday over ways to deal with latecomers to schools when all classes are filled. Lyons suggested they rally parents to get involved in pushing their local legislators for flexibility.

WHO TO CALL

To contact the 16-member Hillsborough County legislative delegation, call (813) 272-5865 or e-mail members through the delegation Web site, www.hillsboroughcounty.org/legislativedelegation. Click on "contact us."

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069.

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