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District appeals class size ruling

School officials say faulty data led state education officials to decide the district had not met required reductions for all grades.

By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN
Published February 12, 2005

BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County school district officials say a computer error led to a faulty state judgment that they did not adequately reduce the number of students in some elementary-grade classes.

In a letter to state education officials asking for an appeal of the ruling, superintendent Wendy L. Tellone wrote that a computer program used by the district led to certain data not being reported correctly.

On Feb 1., the School Board authorized a $75,360 request to purchase a maintenance TERMS software package from CrossPointe Schools Online, an Orlando-based company. That is the same type of software the district initially used to report the class size data to the state.

According to Tellone's letter, some teachers in the TERMS mainframe system were not assigned students, co-teaching assignments were not reported correctly and students in pull-out programs were only being reported with their homeroom teachers.

"The data has now been corrected," Tellone wrote.

A 2002 voter mandate requires the state by 2010 to limit class sizes to no more than 18 students for kindergarten through third grade; 22 for fourth- through eighth-grade classes; and 25 for high school.

Other districts in the Tampa region this year were in compliance with the mandate to reduce class sizes. But the state said Hernando's class sizes for third grade and younger had been reduced from an average class size of 20.66 students in the 2003-04 school year to 19.81 this year, a reduction that fell short of state regulations that require most districts to reduce average class sizes by at least two each year until they reach the 2010 requirements.

Hernando officials reached compliance for students in other grades. Heather Martin, the district's executive director for business services, said after the initial state ruling that the decision would be reversed after the district's appeal.

A state Department of Education official said Friday that it was not immediately determined whether Hernando County's appeal would be granted or denied.

If the state rejects Hernando's appeal, the district could have to devote tens of thousands more dollars to reducing class sizes. According to state figures, 16 districts, including Hernando, may have to transfer about $9-million in their funds to reach compliance in reducing class sizes.

Last year, eight districts had to transfer a total of $1.5-million. Hernando could be required to devote an additional $333,473 to meet the class size reduction requirements.

State officials reviewed district appeals between Feb. 3 and Tuesday. The State Board of Education meets Tuesday to determine final transfer penalties districts may have to make.

Abhi Raghunathan can be reached at araghunathan@sptimes.com or 352-848-1431.

[Last modified February 12, 2005, 00:24:15]