Class sizes remain high across the school district
Despite efforts to lower class sizes throughout the Santa Monica-Malibu School District, class rooms are likely to remain overcrowded this year.
Preliminary enrollment figures released by the school district show total enrollment swelled by more than 100 students from last year with the total student body increasing from 12,688 to 12,712.
Much of the growth in the student body occurred at Santa Monica High School and at John Adams and Lincoln middle schools.
The number of high school students rose by 70 — the equivalent of roughly two and a half classes. At John Adams and Lincoln, the student body increased by 31 and 35, respectively.
The number of families living in the district that opted to enroll their children in the public school system accounted for much of the student body increase, school administrators said.
“We had new resident enrollment well beyond our predicted numbers,” said Superintendent John Deasy.
“Families are growing obviously pleased with the school district,” he said. “Families are making choices, some of which include switching from private to public schools.”
To deal with the influx of students, the school district earlier this year adopted a series of stringent policies intended to reduce class sizes throughout the district. The school board placed a moratorium on issuing any new permits to children who live outside of the school district, while allowing all non-resident children currently enrolled to stay.
Under the system, elementary schools — which are required under state law to maintain lower student-to-teacher ratios — would see their class sizes reduced before those in the higher grade levels.
“It went as predicted, though not the order of magnitude that we hoped,” Deasy said.
While the school district has received high marks from the state — both in awards and high test scores — many Santa Monica families are reeling from the current recession and market downturn.
Those individuals may be choosing to put their kids in public schools until the market recovers, Deasy said.
Some regional private school officials anecdotally said they haven’t noticed a decrease in their numbers.
“Overall, the number of kids coming from Santa Monica has increased over the past couple of years,” said Mary Beth Carosello, an admissions representative at St. Monica’s High School. However, as of Friday, none of the private school officials were able to provide enrollment figures.
Deasy said the district typically notices fewer students enrolling in higher grade levels. Many of them switch to private schools, he said.
“We tend to have an attrition that happens from eighth grade to ninth grade, but that didn’t happen this year,” he said.
“We tend to have an attrition that happens from eighth grade to ninth grade, but that didn’t happen this year.” — — JOHN DEASY Superintendent of schools
Most elementary schools saw either minor increases or remained about the same size. Franklin Elementary increased the most with nine students and Webster Elementary decreased the most with 33 students fewer students.
Those numbers could change as administrators shift students between schools, some students leave and new students arrive, officials said. Administrators said a complete tally will not be complete until next month.
Many principals said they believed full classrooms were a good sign of the school district’s health.
“I love having this school full because that means everybody who needs to be here is enrolled and there will be less coming and going of students throughout the year,” said John Muir Elementary School Principal Patty Flynn.
But sometimes students can get squeezed out of a school because its classrooms are too full.
At Grant Elementary School, four students had to be sent to other schools because every seat at the school is already filled.
While classrooms in the lower grades remain low, classes in the fourth grade can average 32 students per class, said Grant Elementary School Principal Alan Friedenberg.
“Enrollment is a tricky thing,” Friedenberg said. “It’s sort of a numbers game. We hit our targets right on this year, but some times you don’t.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 21, 2002. Read the original PDF.