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Norwalk Third-Graders Expect Classroom Crunch

From left, Naramake third-graders Carly Saunders, Morgan Saunders and Julie Remson protest last week at City Hall. Photo Credit: Nancy Guenther Chapman
Zoe Anderson, a Naramake Elementary School third-grader, shows off a sign she made herself last week. Photo Credit: Nancy Guenther Chapman
Lisa Nuzzo, president of Wolfpit Elementary School PTO, prepared this chart showing the increasing class sizes expected with the budget reconciliation adopted by the Board of Education. Photo Credit: Contributed
Naramake third-grader Carly Saunders is worried about being in a noisy classroom next fall. Photo Credit: Nancy Guenther Chapman

NORWALK, Conn. – Noise is on the mind of some of Norwalk's school children, heading into third grade at Naramake Elementary School.

"I don't want them to get 30 kids in our classroom," said Carly Saunders, one of four children protesting together last week at City Hall. "It would be too much racket and noise."

"Thirty kids in our class is too much and it would be very loud," said Zoe Anderson.

Average third grade classroom sizes at Naramake are expected to go up from 19.33 in 2011-2012 to 28 in 2012-2013, according to a document provided by Superintendent Susan Marks. Zoe and Morgan's second grade class was much smaller, as class room sizes ranged from 19 to 21.

Other Naramake grades are not expecting such a big jump. The average size of Naramake's fourth grade class is even going to drop.

The document is attached below.

It shows that the complaints of Wolfpit Elementary School parents are inspired by class room size hikes across the board: Kindergarten is going from 16.67 to 25, first grade from 17.33 to 25, second grade from 18.33 to 26, third grade from 18 to 27.50, fourth grade from 19 to 27. Fifth graders fare better, going from 18.67 to 19.

Marks said the average class size across the district is about 24. "We were very generous with our classes last year in terms of low class size," she said. "If somebody went over, 24, 25, we would give another teacher but we can't afford that anymore."

Attached: A list of classroom sizes expected in Norwalk Public Schools next fall. (norwalk_classroom_sizes_june_2012.pdf)

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