David Douglas board hears proposed class‑size increases as district plans cuts to close budget gap
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Summary
District leaders presented class‑size planning and preliminary reduction targets tied to a projected budget shortfall; board members and staff said reductions would likely raise averages but not uniformly across every classroom and pledged to prioritize student‑facing positions if additional revenue appears.
David Douglas School District officials on Thursday presented proposed class‑size targets and a draft set of staffing reductions that would be used to build next year’s budget if state revenues and district reserves do not increase.
The district projected higher average class sizes for 2025–26 under current reduction scenarios: elementary average from 25 to 27 students, middle school from 28 to 30.5 and high school from 29 to 34. District staff emphasized those figures are budget assumptions and averages, not a promise that every classroom will contain that many pupils.
Superintendent Ken Richardson said the numbers are part of a two‑year budgeting cycle and that the district has been trying to reduce the impact on classrooms by freezing positions and hiring temporary staff where possible. “We know reductions will mean fewer adults in our system next year,” Richardson said. He told the board the district has prioritized returning any new funds to elementary teaching positions and other student‑facing roles if the state or other revenue sources improve.
Assistant (staff member) Andy (last name not specified) explained the contractual language negotiated with the association: the district must furnish draft ratios to the association by March and include association feedback in budget materials. He presented current and proposed ratios and noted middle‑ and high‑school averages can mask wide variation among departments: for example, current high school language arts and math class averages are in the low‑20s and would not automatically rise to the proposed 34‑student average.
Pat (staff member), who addressed capital and finance items later in the meeting, said the district is tracking multiple variables that will affect the final budget, including enrollment, retirements and resignations and whether the state school fund increase under the governor’s recommended budget gains traction in the Legislature.
Board members raised repeated concerns about impacts to instruction and safety. Director (name recorded as) Ender and others noted staff and public testimony that reductions to instructional assistants (IAs) and other frontline staff could put more pressure on teachers and increase the chance that struggling students fall further behind. Several board members and staff described district strategies—such as “shuttling” students between schools with available seats—to try to limit class sizes where possible.
Clarifying details provided by staff included a list of positions used in the draft reduction scenarios (9 elementary teaching positions, 6 middle‑school teaching positions and 10 full‑time high‑school positions listed in preliminary planning) and an explanation that temporary hires and attrition (retirements/resignations) are being used to lower the net number of layoffs.
District leaders said they will return next month with an updated budget picture, including any changes prompted by the Legislature or county/city funding decisions. The board was asked to treat the presentation as a first read and not a final decision.
The item concluded with members noting the district’s ongoing advocacy with state lawmakers about special education caps and other funding priorities that affect the local budget outlook.
