Lower class size called a key to better education

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004 | 9:14 a.m.

Concerned parents and Clark County School District officials meeting Tuesday night agreed that classes should be smaller and that the roadblock to achieving that is finding the additional money to hire more teachers and build more schools.

"Teachers and students benefit from smaller classes," former Nevada first lady Sandy Miller said. "But there's a cost because you need more teachers and classrooms."

Miller's husband, former Gov. Bob Miller, backed legislation that sought to limit class sizes to 15 students in the first, second and third grades; 22 students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades; and 22 students in the higher grades. But that goal hasn't been reached since that legislation passed in 1989.

In 2004 Clark County schools had average class sizes in first and second grade of 16.5 students; third grade classes of 19.9 students; and kindergarten classes of 24.4 students.

Class-size figures for this school year are not available yet, but School Board member Mary Beth Scow said the higher grades probably have around 35 students per class.

Miller, who sat on a panel of education advocates leading the Tuesday meeting, said the solution is to convince the state Legislature to provide more money for education. Others agreed.

Panel member Mary Ella Holloway, president of the Clark County Education Association, the teachers union, said research has shown that smaller classes are better for students, but cost is an issue.

"The question is: Do you pay now or pay later?" Holloway said, adding that smaller classes in elementary schools reduce the need for remedial classes later.

Bob McCord, a panel member who is also an assistant professor in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Department of Educational Administration and the Director of the UNLV Center for Education Policy Studies, said smaller classes also have fewer discipline problems.

About 30 parents attended the meeting at Basic High School, and although some there said they were hoping for a larger crowd, they were quick to say that the lack of attendance does not mean there is little interest in the subject.

"I was hoping for more people, but it's the second day of school and people are busy," Deanna Wright, president of the Parent Teacher Association at Glen Taylor Elementary School, said.

"But class size, it's a huge issue. Everybody's talking about it," she said.

Carolyn Edwards of Nevadans for Quality Education told the panel that "reducing class size is essential. But it's going to take the Legislature to raise our taxes."

Edwards noted that one of the initiatives that will appear on the November ballot will ask voters to mandate that the Legislature increase education funding to bring the per-pupil spending up to the national average starting in 2012.

The Tuesday night meeting was the first of seven public meetings on issues including extracurricular activities, teacher quality and school safety.

The next meeting is 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 8 at Keller Middle School.