The increase of 85 students has had a corresponding impact on class size, Quattrone reported. At the Elementary School, for example, last year's average class size was 21.4. This year's figure is 22.6, with some sections at grade 1 reaching 24, and some sections at grade 4 reaching 25. The Middle School has 22% of its sections at 25 or above, and High School has 26% in the same category. Quattrone added, "We monitor patterns carefully, but class size is only one variable among many, including teacher quality, space considerations, and available support." At first grade, he noted, we have aides in every classroom and the schedule provides for small group instruction throughout the week.
October 1 is the date for the official enrollment count, and the increases will have an upward impact on the demographic projections that provide the foundation for next year's budget. Board President David Brashear commented,
An important Board project for this year will be to explore and understand demographic changes in the Village and expected impacts on our school enrollment. We entered this year with a larger student body than anticipated, with a substantial number of late summer enrollments, and the Board will need to conduct detailed analyses throughout the budget planning cycle to ensure that we can continue to manage our district with a high degree of financial integrity while also maintaining our mission of delivering a superior educational experience for our students.
