Republican lawmakers say they have a compromise to reduce elementary class sizes while addressing concerns from local school districts.The Senate unveiled a proposal Monday night that would spread the implementation of new maximum class sizes over two years.
Last year, legislators voted to lower maximum class sizes in kindergarten through third grade from 24 to between 19 and 21 students.
Related: State Senate Tangles With School Districts Over K-3 Class Sizes
However, school groups and district leaders said that requirement could lead to thousands of teacher layoffs in art, physical education and music. Advocates called for a fix; hundreds demonstrated at the legislature last week.
Republicans said the measure represents a compromise and preserves a longstanding goal to reduce class size. Some Democrats say this plan still doesn’t address a funding gap, and simply delays the concerns until next year.