In a time when school budgets are being stripped to the bone, many districts are being forced to increase class size in an effort to save money. But according to a recently released class- size report, Simi Valley Unified School District has fewer large classes this year than last.

“We’ve actually gone down,” said Bill Waxman, the district’s director of secondary education. “We have a combination of declining enrollment, a few less staff and a fair number of folks who are, through their own agreement, teaching six out of six (periods each day in high schools).”

A contract between Simi Valley Unified School District and the Simi Educators Association dictates that principals are to “make every reasonable effort” to keep the size of academic classes no larger than 36 students.

After the first month of each semester, principals report to the superintendent any classes that exceed that size.

The document, released late last month, also includes all classes that have fewer than 22 students and the rationale for maintaining them.

No classes at the elementary level have more than 36 students. Two middle school classes—a science class and a U.S. history class at Hillside— have 38 and 37 students enrolled, respectively. Six English core classes at Royal High School have from 37 to 39 students.

Twelve teachers see 185 or more students a day in their classrooms, which happens when educators teach during all six periods of a high school day.

Typically, teachers have at least one period off for preparation and other duties.

Simi Valley High leads the district with seven instructors teaching all six periods of the school day.

“Teachers can only teach all six periods through agreement, not assignment,” Waxman said. “We have a few more teachers doing that this year.”

Ten classes at the middle school level have fewer than 22 students—most are English-language learner classes or Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English, which are core classes geared toward students who are still learning English.

“When a student is an Englishlanguage learner and hasn’t been

reclassified through their scores to be fully English proficient, they have access to these core academic classes,”

Waxman said. “There is more explanation of vocabulary and more information when demonstrating concepts.”

Nine classes at the high school level have fewer than 22 students.

The classes are mostly English-language learner classes or Advanced Placement classes.

The district didn’t increase its maximum class size this year and doesn’t plan to make any additional decisions until after the governor’s next revised budget in January.

“We aren’t going to do anything until then, at which time we’ll be presenting and examining where we are,” Waxman said. “Nothing has been determined, and we won’t be looking at additional cuts or reductions until then.”