Despite Free Space in SomeSchools, Many Packed Classrooms(How are Birmingham Classrooms?)

Page One

Demographic Bulge. Enrollment, which is closely linked to

class sizes and overcrowding of school buildings, has surged

and slackened over the last decade as the public schools

absorbed an influx of new students. Education department

enrollment growth averaged 20,400 annually from the

1992-1993 through 1996-1997 school years. In the six

years since then, annual enrollment growth has slowed,

with total enrollment actually falling in the last three years

(1999-2000 through 2002-2003). As this demographic bulge

has moved through the city's school system, it has intensified

the problems of school overcrowding and large class sizes first

in the elementary schools, then in the middle grades, and

most recently in the early high school years.

Kindergartners entering in the fall of 1994, which was the

largest group starting school in the past decade, are generally

in ninth grade now. This slowdown in enrollment—along

with funding to add classrooms—has played an important

role in the decline in class size in grades K-3. Similarly, even

without additional funding, middle school class size may

decrease and the number of overcrowded buildings fall over

the next few years as the demographic bulge makes its way

into the high schools and enrollment continues to shrink.

Average Class Size and Distribution. From the 2001-2002 to

2002-2003 school years, the sixth through eighth grades

experienced small declines in citywide average class size, from

27.7 students to 27.5 students. This decline occurred despite

a small increase in middle school enrollment. The number of

classes for these grades has increased at a faster rate than the

number of students registered.

Citywide class-size averages only provide part of the story. A

more complete picture can be seen by looking at how many

middle schoolers are in classes larger than the citywide

average. Last year, 67 percent of students in sixth through

eighth grade—147,000 middle schoolers—were in classes

with 28 or more pupils. Nearly 32,900 middle schoolers were

in classes with 33 or more students.

Looking at individual districts, last year average class size in

middle schools varied from 22.3 in District 1 in lower

Manhattan to 32 in District 26 in Queens. These districts

had, respectively, the smallest and largest average class sizes in

both the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years. Average

class size decreased in 18 of the 32 community school districts

as well as the Chancellor's district for poorly performing

schools and another special governance district, with the

largest decrease occurring in District 23 in Brooklyn where

the average class size fell from 27 to 23.5. While average class

size remained unchanged in three districts, the average

increased in nine others, with the largest increase occurring in

District 8 in the Bronx where the average class grew from 26.4

students to 27.5 students.

The variation in average middle school class size was smaller

when looked at in terms of the new regional boundaries

created as part of the Mayor's reorganization of the school

system. Among the 10 new regions that incorporate the city's

community school districts, average middle school class size

ranged from 25.6 in Region 8 in Brooklyn to 29.4 pupils per

class in Region 3 in Queens. Of the five boroughs, Staten

Island had the largest middle school class size of 30.8 in 2002-

2003. Manhattan and Brooklyn had the smallest average class

size at 26.9 students.

New Middle School Class Size Initiative. In January of this

year, Mayor Bloomberg announced a new initiative to reduce

middle school classes to 28 pupils. For the 2003-2004 school

year, the initiative provided $13.8 million for 272 new fulltime

teachers. Only grades five through eight are eligible for

this additional funding and eligibility also depends on the

type of school in which the class is housed; only seventh and

eighth grades are eligible in elementary schools that include

grades K-7 or K-8, while fifth through eighth grades in

middle schools are eligible, and sixth through eighth grades

are eligible in K-12 and 6-12 schools.

Overcrowded Schools and Class Size. While intuitively it is

often assumed that larger than average class sizes are the result

of overcrowded school buildings, this is not always the case. A

large number of middle schoolers sit in classes with more

than 28 students despite the fact that many middle schools

are under capacity.

In order to determine capacity needs of the schools, the

Department of Education reports utilization data, the

enrollment of a school divided by its capacity (or seats). A

utilization rate below 100 percent implies that there are more

than sufficient seats to accommodate the enrolled students.

Conversely, a utilization rate of greater than 100 percent

implies that the school's estimated capacity is insufficient to

accommodate the number of enrolled students. The data is

reported for an entire school rather than by grade. For this

report, we have only analyzed schools identified as middle

schools in the utilization data. While these schools

incorporate the vast majority of seventh and eighth grade

classes, almost 30 percent of sixth grade classes are housed in

elementary schools.

Last school year, the citywide utilization for middle schools

was 88 percent-in other words, 88 percent of the total seats in

these schools were occupied. On an aggregate level, there

appears to be some additional space in these schools. Excess

capacity,however, may be geographically limited and extra

seats in Brooklyn mean little for potentially overcrowded

schools in Staten Island. Although on a citywide basis middle

schools are underutilized, 80,000 sixth to eighth graders

attend schools that are overcrowded—operating beyond

100 percent of capacity.

Overcrowding

and Class Size at

the District

Level. The

individual

districts with the

largest average

class size in

middle schools

are not

necessarily those

with the highest

utilization rates.

Last school year,

of the 10

districts with the

largest average

class sizes, only

three had utilization rates greater than 100 percent and three

had utilization rates between 95 percent and 100 percent. The

remaining four districts had utilization rates of between

75 percent and 88 percent. (See our Web site for average class

size and overcrowding by district.)

Conclusion. The new middle school class size initiative is the

first to directly address this group of students and provides

funding for enough teachers for anywhere from 194 to 227

new classes, depending on the grade range of the school

where the classes are housed. If the Mayor's program were

expanded to provide at least all sixth through eighth graders

with classes containing no more than 28 students, significant

additional funds are needed. But the amount needed will

likely change because of shifting demographics. Much like

what has happened with the K-3 class size initiative, a

combination of shrinking enrollment and investment in more

teachers and the addition of new classroom space will help

lower middle school class size.