Out of 683 elementary through fourth grade classrooms in Leander ISD, the LISD board of trustees has submitted waivers to the state for 116 that have exceeded the maximum student-to-teacher ratio.
The maximum class size for kindergarten through fourth grade is 22 students, according to the Texas Education Agency. The LISD board voted in February to seek waivers for three elementary schools that had exceeded the class size limit, and the board approved waivers for two more schools during a March 2 workshop meeting.
Districts are not required to apply for waivers in the last 12 weeks of the year, so LISD applied for the last waivers of 2016-2017, LISD Chief Communications Officer Terry Abbott said.
Block House Creek, Laura Welch Bush, Parkside, Plain, Pleasant Hill and River Ridge elementary schools have all requested between eight and 10 waivers this school year, he said. Most of those involve one or two additional students in a classroom, he added.
The average student-teacher ratio for the K-4 classrooms in LISD is 20.4-1, so districtwide LISD is under the state’s 22-1 student-to-teacher ratio.
If a class exceeds the ratio, the options are to apply for a waiver or to split the classroom and hire an additional teacher. Abbott said LISD strives to minimize the disruption to student learning, and so the decision to apply for a waiver is made on a case-by-case basis.
DeEtta Culbertson, a representative with the TEA, said student-to-teacher ratio waivers are a common request.
“We receive [waiver] requests from all types of districts all over the state,” she said. “The most usually come from the heavily populated urban and suburban districts.”
Culbertson said districts should consider the subject being taught, the teaching methodology being used and any need for individual instruction when enrolling students in a class.
In LISD, Abbott said the district staff works in collaboration with the campus principals and classroom teachers to determine the best solution for students involved.
“Depending on the needs of a classroom, we may assign a co-teacher or an instructional assistant to support the teacher,” he said. ”We also take into account the time of year, and when possible, we make every effort to keep students with the teacher and classmates they have been with all year.”
LISD is the 14th fastest-growing school district in Texas, and about 1,000 new students are added to the district every year, according to LISD. Since enrollment can change every day, Abbott said LISD often has to make midyear adjustments.
Because of the rapid growth, Abbott said the district uses demographers to develop projections of potential enrollment every year, including estimates of potential student enrollment for several years ahead.
“We are given low, moderate and high projections,” he said. “Our elementary enrollment numbers for the 2016-17 school year are exceeding moderate growth estimations by about 200 students, and the district has responded accordingly to meet the needs of our schools.”
As a fast-growth school district, seeking out waivers is a regular process for LISD campuses, Abbott said. Because of past budget cuts, he said LISD has applied for waivers every year since 2011.
“The district has processes and procedures in place to accommodate our new students,” Abbott said. “Our teachers and staff are prepared to provide effective instruction at all grade levels and the high achievement of our students every year shows our schools continue to do an excellent job.”
