State school board approves larger classes

Georgia public schools can increase the number of students in most elementary and middle school classes by two children next school year under a cost-savings plan State Board of Education members approved Thursday.

Staff officials said bumping up maximum class sizes in core elementary and middle school classes by two students — just for the 2009-10 school year — would help local systems deal with anticipated budget shortfalls during the recession.

State schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said the change would save about $200 million statewide on the cost of hiring new teachers. That savings could help many systems avoid having to eliminate some positions, such as paraprofessionals and others who support classroom teachers.

The maximum size for kindergarten would increase to 20 students; grades 1-3 would increase to 23; and grades 4-8 would increase to 30.

Core high school classes will remain capped at 32 students.

Core classes cover English, math, science, social studies and foreign languages.