There's no mystery to what it takes to reduce class size in Florida schools. State lawmakers need to commit more money for school construction and additional teachers. But sponsors of a petition drive want a class-size limit added to the state Constitution. It doesn't belong there. And this well-meaning effort might even sidetrack the imperative to build new schools.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the state would limit classroom sizes to between 18 and 25 students, depending on whether the grade is in elementary, middle or high school. Those targets are reasonable, but impossible to achieve without new taxes, which are anathema to the Republican leadership in Tallahassee.

The state Constitution exists to provide an overall framework for governing Florida, not to serve as a catchall for short-term political goals, however worthy. Advocates already have a way to reduce classroom size -- articulate the need, propose funding and hold elected officials accountable if they fail to come up with the money. At some point, Floridians will have to make a choice between adequately funding the state's education needs or allowing its public schools to deteriorate.

Dictating class size in the Constitution could backfire. Though the amendment puts the onus on the state for funding, the language does not -- could not -- specify how the financing would work. That sort of detail is what laws and the legislative process are for. What, for example, constitutes an "adequate provision" by the Legislature? What amount would qualify as "sufficient funds?" Doesn't the target deadline of 2010 in fact mean the Legislature could largely ignore the problem until the current crop of legislators are termed out of office?

Even many educators who know the benefits of lower class sizes oppose this amendment because of its potential for unintended consequences. Pinellas School Superintendent Howard Hinesley says the amendment's mandated reductions "couldn't be done without millions of capital dollars being made available." Circulating petitions without informing voters of the cost of such a mandate, Hinesley said, "is doing a disservice to the people who are signing it."

Pasco Superintendent John Long has the same concern: "If we're not clear about the funding, this could create a nightmare for kids," he said. To meet the mandate without assured funding, Long said, he would have to put Pasco schools on double sessions.

Florida's school crowding problem will require the state and localities to coordinate a range of acts, from assessing adequate impact fees to responsibly managing growth. Adding classroom capacity won't be painless; if anything, this proposed constitutional amendment could make the job harder.

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