Why does DCPS let in OOB students when classes are already crowded?

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this one. Second grader at DCPS with good retention. Teacher was telling us on day one how she was frustrated that she had 25 students in her class, and anticipated they'd get one or two more if kids moved in/enrolled late. Both classes are at 25, when in prior year they had 3 classes at a much more manageable 18 or so.

We know specifically that a friend got in OOB in the lottery into 2nd grade with no preference. Why would they offer that slot, knowing full well that they were basically at maximum capacity already? I just don't get it.

[Anonymous]

They do it to get the funding. It covers a lot of stuff that you probably like.

You're never going to have 18, that is wasteful and less than the teaching contract agrees to.

[Anonymous]

If I understand your post, the school went from 3 second grade classes with 18 students each to 2 classes with 25 each?

That means there are 4 fewer 2nd graders at your school now than there were last year, and further than those 3 classes last year were under enrolled.

As PP said, 18 is under the WTU-DCPS contract limit, and is hard to sustain given the per pupil funding. They likely anticipated more enrollment for second grade last year, created 3 classes and for whatever reason the enrollment didn't reach that level.

The current year class sizes and budgets are based on the prior year's enrollment. Given that, it's not surprising that they increased the class sizes/eliminated the 3rd one. And that extra OOB student will likely help increase the budget next year.

Your complaint should be with the DCPS budgeting process, and the broader per pupil funding model in the city -- not with that one OOB student.

[Anonymous]

If you're at a sought-after DCPS school, it is rare to see classrooms with less than 25 students. 27 is about average and isn't considered to be "overcrowding" by DCPS.

[Anonymous]

They probably offered the spot based on an expectation of IB enrollment and attrition that didn't go as planned. It's a delicate balance to hit enrollment targets, very hard to do precisely. 25 is a reasonable class size for 2nd, there is nothing wrong with it. If you have a concern about the teacher or classroom management, raise it specifically.

[Anonymous]

If they had three classes when they could get by with two, it would cost over $100,000 to pay the teacher and everything. 25 kids is a fine size not worth paying $100,000 to avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do it to get the funding. It covers a lot of stuff that you probably like.

You're never going to have 18, that is wasteful and less than the teaching contract agrees to.

This.

[Anonymous]

Are DCPS class sizes getting larger? It seems like I've read several of this type of thread lately. I thought that was one thing DCPS had over MCPS and other suburban districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are DCPS class sizes getting larger? It seems like I've read several of this type of thread lately. I thought that was one thing DCPS had over MCPS and other suburban districts.

Yes. Crowded schools are crowding worse, and some formerly underenrolled schools are filling up to normal class sizes. Also there's weirdness when a cohort is on the bubble for adding or subtracting a class-- can result in more small classes or fewer big ones. Growing pains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are DCPS class sizes getting larger? It seems like I've read several of this type of thread lately. I thought that was one thing DCPS had over MCPS and other suburban districts.

Well, the "Is Wilson Overcrowded?" thread went on for 14 pages (and counting) without anyone identifying: how many students are currently at Wilson, how many students are in the entering 9th grade class, or the average class size at Wilson. No facts were established, the dialogue consisting of little more than identity-based attacks going back and forth. The topic was just bait for entertaining the mentally disturbed. Hopefully this thread will not similarly devolve into nothing.

[Anonymous]

Not. This. Again.

[Anonymous]

OP, if this is something you are concerned about, you should go to LSAT meetings. It's a complicated issue.

[Anonymous]

Remember this when the boundary redo comes in a couple years!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember this when the boundary redo comes in a couple years!

This is not relevant to the OP's issue.

[Anonymous]

OP here, thanks for the clarification. Though on the subject of 25 being OK to low for a 2nd grade class, that seems inconsistent with the WTU contract I see that lists (pg 78) 20 as the maximum size class for grades K-2. At 3rd it bumps up to 25.

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/WTU-DCPS%20Contract%202016-2019.pdf