Florida legislature passed a law that requires core classes [with the exception of International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and a few others] can have more than an average of 25 students. The Florida Class Size Amendment was put in place for the 2010-2011 school year.
An anonymous school board member reported, “There are both rewards for adhering to class size as well as penalties for non-compliance. Compliance with the Class Size Amendment is one component necessary in order to achieve High Achieving School District status. Seminole County Public Schools continue to strive to maintain its status as a High Achieving Public School District. In addition, school districts meeting class size have received, in prior years, additional funding for meeting class size. However, districts who do not comply with the amendment are financially penalized.”
Seminole High School, staying within the law, issued schedule changes in the beginning of October to meet this requirement.
Principal Mike Gaudreau stated, “Right now, under 300 [students received schedule changes], which is less than 10% of the total population. We should be done with schedule changes today [October 5, 2012]. [Students are affected by] switched periods, switched teachers, or their lunches switched.”
Mr. Gaudreau and the counselors at Seminole High School have been trying to follow the law and change as few schedules as possible. Unfortunately, for the few that did receive a schedule change, many of them are upset about this change two months into the school year.
Sophomore Brandon Ruiz expressed, “I feel sad because my teacher was awesome and I would rather have my original schedule. Just seventh [changed]. I still have the same classes.”
Other students at Seminole High School share Ruiz’s feelings in their own schedule change.
Junior Rachel Spillman felt, “Sad [because] I liked my old classes. Sixth and seventh period changed for me which is English and Physics.”
While some students were upset about their schedule change, others were relieved that some of their classes changed, but they were upset about the timing.
Sophomore Marissa Benjamin stated, “I now have the lunch I want and also I have a class with two of my best friends. I really don’t like [the class size law] because we are eight weeks into school and kids don’t want their schedule to be changed almost a whole nine weeks into school”
Seminole High School has a student population of over 3000. The reason why Seminole waited to make the schedules was due to the fact that within the first couple of months, new students were transferring in or students were switching out.
Gaudreau expressed, “It’s unfortunate that we have to do it now. They [the school board] wait to see how many students we have, because the amount of students can change [within the first two months].
To learn more about Florida’s Class Size Law visit Florida’s Class Size Amendment.