THE PERSONAL TOUCH

In the back of Marilyn Beal’s freshman English class at Buena High School sit something few students see on the packed Ventura campus: empty desks.

At the school--where students have had to sit on the floors of overcrowded classrooms and social science courses have overflowed with more than 60 pupils--freshmen are eased into high school life in English classes holding no more than 20 students, thanks to a state grant targeting small class size.

“You can see it,” Beal said. “They come in here and take a big sigh and say, ‘I don’t feel so overwhelmed.’ ”

The Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction Program gives $135 per student to high school districts that reduce class size for a specific grade in a specific subject. Six districts in Ventura County are taking advantage of the program.

Buena freshman Jackie Fudge, who has a physical education class with more than 60 students and other classes with more than 30, said her favorite class is English. “The teacher pays more attention to you and you can get more help,” Jackie said.

In Beal’s class, lessons run more like a conversation than a lecture.

Instead of raising their hands and hoping the teachers call on them, students participate in a discussion with their peers and teacher.

But funding for the program--which the founders had hoped would spread to all grades and subjects--has been steadily declining since the Legislature passed the bill in 1989. Then districts received $154 per student.

District officials in Ventura County said they are still studying the effectiveness of the smaller classes.

“There’s a feeling in talking to teachers that we’ve made a difference,” said Fred Van Leuven, director of secondary education in the Conejo Valley Unified School District, which has targeted sophomore English classes. “They tell us that writing has improved.”

And Buena Principal Jaime Castellanos said smaller classes mean more one-on-one attention for students and more time for teachers to prepare rigorous lessons.

“People might say it’s only eight or nine kids,” said Castellanos, referring to the gap with the school’s typical class size. “But it’s eight or nine more assignments you have to correct, eight or nine kids you have to pay attention to.”