Students who’ve returned to high school in Eugene this month might see more classmates sitting around them.
The potential for larger class sizes comes after Eugene 4J laid off hundreds of employees this year, including instructors.
Under 4J’s current targets for class size, freshman and sophomore classes could see around 30 students per teacher, while juniors and seniors could face around 34.
The district didn’t provide its previous student-to-teacher ratios for a direct comparison. But its average class size for all high school subjects last year was 23.
“The district maintained very low ratios for a number of years and used its financial reserves in order to do that and to avoid making cuts to staffing,” said 4J spokesperson Kelly McIver. “But eventually the reserves became winnowed down to the point where that just wasn't possible anymore.”
McIver said the district will likely see larger classes across its lower grades this year as well. But he said those ratios are expected to be similar to how classes were just a few years ago.
According to 4J data, class sizes across all grade levels have been falling throughout the past decade.
McIver said schools across the country have faced smaller cohorts due to lower birth rates, and 4J increased hiring during the pandemic. But he said the district no longer has that influx of COVID-era funding.
He said the district is focused on keeping classrooms small for its youngest students. The target for kindergarten this year is 20 students per teacher.
“Once they have gotten their legs under them, having the basics and understanding how school works, they are much more able to still progress with larger class sizes at the later years,” said McIver. “The nature of the subject matter and the instruction style at the secondary level–it is able to be a workable thing even with those class sizes being larger.”
McIver said the final numbers will differ based on how many students are actually enrolled and how they’re distributed.
He said budget cuts will continue at least another year until the district’s resources match its expenses.
“We have really great educators who are I think up to the challenge of still making sure that students get what they need,” said McIver. “And perhaps someday in the future, we will, as a society, be able to invest in a more expansive way in our schools.”
KLCC reached out to the 4J teacher’s union for comment, but they didn't provide one in time for publication.
