High Kindergarten Enrollment Caused Teacher Swap in N. Babylon

A high influx of incoming Kindergarten-aged students to the caused the North Babylon School District and its Board of Education to move teachers around and causing the loss of at , said Superintendent Patricia Godek.

The incoming Kindergarten class at DeLuca is above-average, said Godek, containing 78 students, more than any other district school. The district's Board of Ed. made a decision previously to cap class sizes through each elementary grade – Kindergarten classes are to have 25 students maximum, 1st & 2nd grade have 30 maximum and 3rd through 5th grade have 32 at the most.

"If we had left DeLuca without making any changes, they would have had 25 per class and a few not in their home school," said Godek, who noted the "extra" students would be sent to other elementary schools in the district. "It would have been way too many children in the Kindergarten compared with the other schools."

Godek said the other schools in the district have only 17 to 20 students in their Kindergarten classes.

"We're trying to build equity among our schools," said Godek. Faced with the decision, the superintendent said she and other officials looked at enrollment throughout the different schools before identifying the second grade at Parliament Place as being smaller than other district classes. With three teachers and 60 students, Parliament Place was expected to have 20 students per room for the coming Fall.

"Having a few at 20 students while the other schools faced 25-30 would not have been right either," she said. The superintendent said she spoke with the school's principal, Drew Olson, and teachers before making the decision.

The Board passed the measure during the Executive Session of the August 16th Board meeting. The move had to be made due to the school discussing personnel decisions, including maneuvering teachers, at that time. Godek noted the low attendance at that board meeting, consisting of only three audience members.

"We were not trying to do smoke and mirrors on the topic," she said.

The move does leave Parliament Place with two second grade classes of 30 children each, tied for the highest and maximum allowed. has second grade classes of 29 to 30, while DeLuca, Belmont and Vedder have between 25 and 27.

"A letter will be going out soon through the mail to those second grade parents," she said. "I understand the parents' concerns though, I have four kids of my own. As a superintendent though, you have to watch out for the entire district."

She added: "If you look across the elementary schools, by raising the class size at Parliament Place, they've been equalized."