Opinion

Beaten into line

TBO.com
Published: December 8, 2012

With apologies to Oscar Wilde, the only thing worse than complying with Florida's public school class-size amendment is not complying with Florida's public school class-size amendment — when failing to comply could cost the local school district millions of dollars that could otherwise be spent actually improving education.

After the Pasco School Board made the conscious decision last year that complying with the class-size rule would cost more than the cash-strapped district could afford, the Florida Department of Education lowered the boom, a $4 million fine. The state, however, said it would cut the fine to $1 million if the district came into compliance this school year. Failing to meet the class caps — no more than 18 students in kindergarten through third grade, no more than 22 in grades four through eight and 25 or fewer in high school — the district would have had to pay the full $4 million penalty from 2011-2012 and face another fine for 2012-2013.

A headcount conducted in Pasco schools Oct. 8 showed that the district had met the class-size limits. To reach the magic numbers, however, the district had to hire some 100 teachers and spend the money the school board tried to avoid doling out in 2011-2012.

Since the class-size rules are in the state constitution, this pointless sideshow will continue. We, however, continue to wonder what any of this has to do with educating Pasco County students, since the research on the role of class size in student performance is, at best, ambiguous.