Since the Monroe County Community School Corp. announced cost-cutting measures – including slowed teacher hiring – last February, community members have been holding their breath to see how class sizes might increase.
Last year, MCCSC said that it would carefully evaluate and seek to limit rehiring for teachers and staff who retire or resign, a measure aimed at reducing staff without implementing layoffs. Since then, approximately 82 teachers have resigned or retired, while about 13 new positions have been hired on.
The good news: even as teaching staff has decreased, class sizes haven’t grown too much. During the Feb. 24 board meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and Operations Jeffry Henderson said approximately 84% of MCCSC elementary school classes fall within board-approved student-to-teacher ratios – down about 12% from Fall 2024.
What does MCCSC consider an acceptable class size?
The board-approved ratios say pre-K through third grade classes should have 20 to 24 students or less; fourth grade through high school classes should have 30 students or less.
Student population loss helps level classes out
Despite fewer teachers, MCCSC has been able to maintain small class sizes in part because student numbers, too, have been decreasing.
Across the corporation, there are about 187 fewer students now than there were in 2024. The biggest decreases to student populations were in early elementary school; Kindergarten through third classes dropped by about 70 students from 2024 to 2026, according to the Indiana Department of Education.
Where are class sizes the biggest?
Fairview, Lakeview, Summit and Templeton elementaries have the most above-average class sizes. The average class at Templeton currently has about 25 students; in Fall 2024, the average class size was 21.
Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: MCCSC has lost 82 teachers since last year. Are classes too big now?
Reporting by Brian Rosenzweig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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