By Moses Leos III
The Hays CISD board of trustees Monday approved submitting exemption waivers to the Texas Education Agency for classrooms that go beyond the state mandated 22:1 student to teacher ratio.
The board passed the measure by a unanimous 7-0 vote. Waivers were granted for ten classrooms from six Hays CISD elementary campuses.
According to Hays CISD school board president Meredith Keller, the district has not filed for class size exception waivers so far this year.
Keller said the district has worked to “make sure we are hitting the 22 to 1” ratio through the year.
“I don’t remember a time when we waited this long to get a class waiver,” Keller said. “I’m pleased with the administration’s work on this.
Keller said the district normally files for the waivers at the start of the semester.
According to district documents, each school district in Texas is required to review class sizes for Kindergarten through 4th grade at the start of each semester, per Texas Education Commission requirements.
If a class size exceeds the 22:1 ratio, districts can submit an exemption waiver.
Keller said she has historically been against granting waivers, as the district can hire a new teacher or break up a classroom to meet requirements.
“This has bothered me a lot,” Keller said. “I’ve consistently voted no on waivers because I’ve been of the position…just because we are allowed a waiver by the state, doesn’t mean we should get one.”
But with less than six months left in the school year, splitting up a classroom or hiring a new teacher wasn’t a prudent move.
“No parent, no child, no teacher wants to split up their classes right now,” Keller said.
According to the district, they will continue to monitor student enrollment and growth.
Classrooms exceeding the 22:1 student to teacher ratio:
Buda Elementary: two 1st grade classrooms (23 students each)
Carpenter Hill Elementary: two 2nd grade classrooms (23 students each)
Hemphill Elementary: two 3rd grade classrooms (24 students each), one 4th grade classroom (23 students)
Pfluger Elementary: one 2nd grade classroom(23 students)
Tobias Elementary: two 2nd grade classrooms (23 students each)
