Kindergarten class size

julieelise

Hi,

I am looking into private schools for my daughter and I am currently looking at Pre-K for next year, but would like to have her continue in the same school for K through elementary. I visited a school that I really like, everything about it seemed great to me, except the class size of their Kindergarten. Its a small school, so they only have one class per grade, but the Kindergarten had 27 students. Isn't that a rather large class size for K? They have one teacher, and one assistant teacher who is with the class at all times. The principal even mentioned to me that it was a rather large class, but that if they were to reach 30 students they would then have another K class. The students seemed engaged and well behaved, there were just a lot of them. One big reason (but not the only reason) I've been looking at private schools is for small class size. I like everything else about the school, but not sure if the large K size should sway my decision. What do you think?

jlw2505

We are in a public school but open enroll to a "school of choice" in a great district.  This year, the school has 4 kindergarten classes (2 full day and 2 half day) and all 4 classes have 27 kids each (and some kids on the waiting list did not get in if they were open enrolled families, all in district kids get a spot).  Last year they had 3 kindy classes (1 full day and 2 half day) and the full day had 27 kids and each half day had 23 or 25.  The classes each have a full time teacher and once at 27 kids, they have a second full time assistant teacher in the room at all times plus kids are pulled out for things during the day - things like speech and challenge (gifted program) groups and also things like reading groups are done in small groups. 

The school plans for 3 classes, 1 full day and 2 half day but if they receive enough applications to fill 2 full day classes to between 25-27 students they will open that extra class.  The number of half day classes has always been 2 with an average of 25 kids but it will be interesting to see how that changes as more and more families are requesting full day.  The other 5 schools in the district have 2-3 kindergarten classes but with around the same number of kids per class - our school just happens to have a very high rate of open enrollment.

penguingrrl

That sounds very big to me, but if there's an assistant in there it's probably fine. My daughter is in public and there are 20 in her class. I believe all four classes at our school have 19-20 kids. The class sizes don't get larger until HS in our district.

shopgirl78

Limits K-4 in Texas is 22 (though a lot of waivers are requested).   There is generally only a PT aide.  

mrsseguin

DS's class has 21 kids in it.  The schools max is supposed to be 20 kids.  He is in a catholic french school and in Canada, they aren't considered private schools.

capulet

I think a lot depends on how the teacher (and hopefully aides) manage the class, and what the kids are like.  DD also goes to a small school with one class per grade.  Her kindergarten class is 22 kids.  The class last year was 11 kids.  The smaller class size sounds much better, but everything I've heard from the teacher and other parents, at least one of whom deliberately held her son back from going to K with the smaller class (for several reasons, of course), attests that DD's larger class is better at picking up on routines, more well behaved, and more capable of advanced material than last year's class.  They are all really nice, sweet kids, so DD is happy socially as well as flourishing academically.  I would be nervous about a class that large too, but if they have two teachers at all times and they manage the classroom well, then that's a good sign.  Also, this far in advance, you have no idea what size your DD's class will end up being.

2brides

DSs go to a private school and their K was 17 kids with 1 teacher and 1 FT aide and a part time reading specialist. This year, their first grade class only has 12 kids with 1 teacher and 1 PT reading specialist.

septemberdreams

DS is in K and his class has 22 children, no assistant.  There are 5 K classes.

4Speedy

My DD goes to a private school and the maximum class size for Kindy is 19 kids.  Last year, when she was in K, there were 20 students so the kids were placed in 2 classes with 10 kids each.   This year, there are 38 kindergarteners which makes two 19 student classrooms.  If they had had just one more student, they would have made three 13 student classes.

As a tuition paying parent, if I had that many kids in a kindy class, I would be upset.   

emd79

Wow, that seems too large IMO for a kindergarten class.  My son goes to a public school and has 17 students in his class.  There is also a full-time aide assigned just to his class.  Our school has 4 kindergarten classes each with 16-17 students.

howleyshell

Our public is up to 30 for kindy now with 1 teacher and 1 aid.

Hence... we're paying for private kindy where he's got 12 in his class with 1 teacher and a full time aid.  Their reading groups are FOUR kids.

We won't pay for private all through elementary but wanted them in a smaller environment for the crucial "learning to read" piece.  We haven't been disappointed and will be finding the finances to do the same with our last for kindy next year even though our oldest will be starting college and the finances are going to be tight.

 

jnksmom

We are in a large public school. There are 19 kids in DS's class and there are 9 Kindergarten classes. He only has one teacher with no aide. The county I taught in that is an hour from where we live now, has 20-22 in a class with a teacher and full time aide.

I think 27 is kind of large for K but if I really loved the school I may consider it since there are 2 teachers in the class. 

Dragonfly08

My kindergartener is in a class of 27.  Most classes, in any grade at my girls' school, run between 24 and 28 students.  The K classes have a teacher and an assistant, plus parent helpers when available, grades 1-6 have just the teacher.