LYNNFIELD — The 2023-24 school year will see an increase in the number of children in each kindergarten class at the Summer Street School due to the number of classes dropping from four to three. Each class is estimated to have 22 students this year.
According to Lynnfield Public Schools’ policy, the optimal number of children in one kindergarten class is 18. However, a range of 18 to 22 children is permitted. While these numbers are guidelines rather than stringent limits that require compliance, some parents have expressed concern over the cut class.
“My son was in kindergarten last year and we had four classes,” Jenny Sheehan, a Lynnfield resident and parent said. “The year prior to that, the school had five classes and the number of kids in each class was an optimal 18. With my son, it was 20 in each class and this year it will be almost 22. The hard red line was 22 but who can really say that it won’t be crossed too?”
Her concern, she said, stems from the possibility of students not receiving ample individualized attention from teachers — a factor crucial to a child’s growth and development in the early years.
“Since COVID-19, children have been dealing with various disorders like ADHD, oppositional defiant disorders,” Sheehan said. “And reducing the number of classes means that the student-to-teacher ratio will be askew.”
However, increasing the number of classes requires more staffing personnel and budgetary allocations and is thus not always dictated by policy guidelines. According to Lynnfield Public Schools’ policy, if the class size does exceed the guidelines, “it remains the superintendent of schools’ prerogative to take the necessary action based on the budget.”
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s policies state that the average class size for kindergarten is not permitted to exceed 25. While the Summer Street School has yet to go over 25 children per class, Sheehan said she is not confident it will stick to the limit.
“There is no limit set in stone,” Sheehan said. “It is important to care about these children and their specific needs. Maybe the money isn’t there for smaller classes or maybe it is but it is necessary to make it a priority and give children in kindergarten extra support to get them back on track.”
