More Funds Sought to Cut Class Sizes

First they did it in the Conejo Valley. Now Simi Valley and Oak Park have joined the clamor.

Both school districts are urging state lawmakers to revisit the popular class-size reduction initiative.

In separate resolutions approved Tuesday, trustees for the east county’s smallest and biggest school systems asked the state to pay the full amount to trim class size in the first three grade levels before offering partial funding for a fourth.

Without asking for a specific dollar amount, the Oak Park Unified School District board voted unanimously to ask for “more adequate funding.”

Right now, the $771-million state program reimburses school districts $650 per primary student--in as many as three primary grade levels--enrolled in classes of 20 or fewer. The actual cost to hire new teachers and buy supplies for the program is substantially more.

Gov. Pete Wilson has proposed adding a fourth grade level with a $666 reimbursement.

“We would accept anything over the $666 being proposed for next year,” said Oak Park Supt. Marilyn Lippiatt. “Because we’re a smaller district, our costs are about $1,000 a student.”

That yawning gap means the school district had to dip into the general fund for about $125,000 to cover all three grades.

While the cost per student--$800--is lower in the Simi Valley Unified School District, the deficits are higher.

To pay for trimming class size in grades 1 through 3, the Simi Valley school system will spend $500,000 in general fund money this school year alone, and the deficit will grow to $1.2 million next year. That amount does not include facilities spending, which will vary depending on how many sixth-grade students take advantage of a voluntary program to attend middle instead of elementary school.

In their resolution, Simi Valley trustees asked for $800 funding per student plus flexibility in implementing the program.