Hamilton Parents Plead for Extra Third Grade Class

Parents of second-graders at Hamilton Primary School are pleading with the district to make sure there are four sections next year to accommodate the about 70 students entering third grade—but no decisions have been made thus far.

Several parents spoke out at a recent board of education meeting with a request that class sizes be lowered for the incoming third-graders to ensure that they don’t have 24 students in classes come next year.

“In terms of studies that support the benefits of reduced class sizes, it has a positive impact in the course of academic development,” said Argonne Farm Drive resident John Corbitt. “We talk about students in high school needing extra time, and the fundamentals developed in the early grades serves as the baseline.”

Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said after the meeting that there are currently about 70 second-graders at Hamilton Primary, with three sections for those students. At this point, he said, he does not know if four sections will be needed.

Right now, Schilder said, he is waiting on figures of how many students will move to the AI program, which will take them out of the regular third grade classes in the fall. If many move, there will be less than 70 third graders in the regular classes, and a fourth section may not be necessary.

Although he said he is not opposed to having about 23 students in each section, he reserving the decision for once all the facts are available.

But parents said they would like to see class sizes reduced in the coming year.

“This past fall, at back to school night, my wife and I attended and the classroom was well represented,” said Paul Perry, of Mount Vernon Road. “As I stood there, because there were no chairs left, I asked how many students they had in the class, and it was either 24 or 25.”

Perry said he recounted the days when he was teaching, and asked the teacher how individual time would be given to each student.

“The answer was it won’t be able to,” he said. “They expect students to be self learners.”

“Maybe at high school, middle school and college levels that’s acceptable,” he added. “But at second grade, that’s hard to comprehend.”

Valerie Pierce, of Cambridge Lane, said she moved to Bridgewater because of the quality of the schools, but her second grade daughter was in a class with 25 students this year, and she is concerned about how that will affect her education.

“In a class of 25, as much as the teachers have really tried, I don’t think she has gotten quite as good an experience as last year,” she said. “There is not enough time for a teacher to devote individually.”

Crestview Road parent Teresa Belmont said the class sizes at other schools are nothing like those at Hamilton, and she believes it has impacted the children.

“There are people who know my daughter, and she comes across as very shy, but she tells me she can’t talk to her teachers,” she said. “We need to continue to look at lowering class sizes, and consider having four classes next year.”

Schilder said he could have an answer about whether that fourth section will be needed as early as the May 28 board meeting or the first one in June.