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12-12-2012 at 10:10 AM
julieelise
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Joined on 03-23-2010
North Carolina
84 Points
julieelise is not online. Last active: 05-22-2013, 3:27 PMNewbie

Kindergarten class size

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?


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12-12-2012 at 12:07 PM
jlw2505
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Joined on 09-23-2004
MN
9,236 Points
jlw2505 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 3:05 PMGold

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.


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12-12-2012 at 3:48 PM
mbenit4
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Joined on 05-14-2010
Louisiana
135,645 Points
mbenit4 is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 6:51 AMPlatinum

I think if it is a good school, they can handle it.

My DD's pre-K was about 28-26 students.

K was 22 students.

I think this year it is 24.



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12-12-2012 at 4:56 PM
penguingrr...
Top 150 Contributor
Joined on 11-19-2006
In NYC for now, but always a Jersey girl at heart!
38,444 Points
penguingrrl is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 9:42 PMPlatinum
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.

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12-12-2012 at 5:19 PM
-auntie-
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Joined on 12-14-2003
New Hope
51,964 Points
-auntie- is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 8:30 AMPlatinum

DS's private kindie had up to 18 kidlets with a FT aide. Contractual limit in the primary grades in our public district is 24.

 
12-12-2012 at 9:02 PM
shopgirl78
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Joined on 09-07-2004
Texas
7,308 Points
shopgirl78 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 5:49 AMGold
Limits K-4 in Texas is 22 (though a lot of waivers are requested).   There is generally only a PT aide.  

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12-13-2012 at 6:42 AM
mrsseguin
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Joined on 07-09-2006
Canada
5,729 Points
mrsseguin is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 9:42 PMSilver
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.

DS 11/14/2008 DD 12/20/2010  
12-13-2012 at 8:04 AM
capulet
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Joined on 02-23-2003
Connecticut
16,075 Points
capulet is online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 8:56 AMSilver
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.

DD born 10/10/07 * DS born 11/25/11 

12-13-2012 at 11:25 AM
2brides
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Joined on 07-30-2002
VA
2,965 Points
2brides is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 10:09 AMSilver
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.

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12-13-2012 at 12:50 PM
septemberd...
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Joined on 09-11-2006
Maryland
435 Points
septemberdreams is not online. Last active: 02-12-2013, 6:59 AMBronze
DS is in K and his class has 22 children, no assistant.  There are 5 K classes.
 
12-13-2012 at 1:47 PM
4Speedy
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Joined on 01-08-2004
2,806 Points
4Speedy is not online. Last active: 05-13-2013, 5:20 AMSilver

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.   


 
12-13-2012 at 7:21 PM
emd79
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Joined on 08-28-2012
5,373 Points
emd79 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 6:12 PMNewbie
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.

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12-13-2012 at 9:03 PM
howleyshel...
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Joined on 02-23-2004
Denver, CO
4,456 Points
howleyshell is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 11:23 AMGold

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.

 


Our IF journey: 1 m/c, 1 IVF with only 3 eggs retrieved yielding Dylan and a lost twin, 1 shocker unmedicated BFP resulting in Jace, 3 more unmedicated pregnancies ending in more losses.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
 
12-13-2012 at 9:34 PM
jnksmom
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Joined on 01-16-2009
KY
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jnksmom is online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 9:04 AMSilver

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. 


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12-17-2012 at 12:39 AM
smsalat
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Joined on 02-05-2011
3,237 Points
smsalat is not online. Last active: 05-24-2013, 7:23 AMBronze
A teacher friend has 30 kindergarteners in her classroom (public school).  Way too many, IMO for that age group.  Part of the reason why I want to go private, but don't know if we can flip the bill :(
 
01-16-2013 at 3:01 PM
Dragonfly0...
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Joined on 12-19-2003
264 Points
Dragonfly08 is not online. Last active: 05-23-2013, 10:33 AMSilver
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.
 
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