In Final Action : Smaller Classes in High Schools

Legislation establishing an experimental program to reduce class sizes in California high schools was approved by the Senate and sent to Gov. George Deukmejian. The measure, by Sen. Gary K. Hart (D-Santa Barbara), would allocate $60 million for high school districts that agree to reduce the size of math, science, English and social science classes. The districts would receive $200 per student when they pledged that every student in a particular grade level taking courses in at least two of the four subjects would be in classes of no more than 20 students. Hart, who said the average high school class now has more than 30 students, said the program would be an alternative to allocating money to reduce class sizes in all subjects by only one or two students.