Students Take Class Size Concerns To School Board
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- They say their class sizes are too crowded so students took their concerns straight to the school board.
Douglas County is the fastest growing school district in Colorado with 61,000 students filling classrooms, sometimes to capacity.
A group of students, named SMART- Students Making A Reliable Tomorrow, addressed the crowded board Tuesday night in Parker about their class sizes getting too big.
"My sister is in a math class with 49 students and she sits in the very back of the room and sometimes she can't hear the teacher, she can't see the board. A lot of students aren't very comfortable asking questions when there are so many kids in the room," said 8th Grader Emily Pook.
They proposed several ideas including putting a mill levy tax increase on the ballot. They also address the board as to what solutions were being explored to overcome the board's budget issues.
Last year, Douglas County cut $20 million from its budget. Budget cuts may be on the table once again.
Students said they don't want their education to be compromised.
"It's not just teachers and parents who are looking for a better school district and a better education for their children. We as students care about our education too," said another student.
The school board is considering some options that include blocking out classes differently throughout the day and asking teachers to teach one more class period to spread out the number of students in each class.
