A group of Harpswell parents is asking the local school district to add another first grade class at Harpswell Community School next year to prevent an oversized class that would exceed the district’s guidelines.

Several parents spoke out at a public hearing on Maine School Administrative District 75’s proposed budget for the 2025-26 school year. The forum was held March 12 at the Community School. SAD 75 covers Harpswell, Topsham, Bowdoin and Bowdoinham.

The parents, whose kids are currently in kindergarten, said the Community School’s sole kindergarten class has 22 students. The district’s guidelines say that’s too many kids for a single classroom.

For kindergarten, the district has set an optimal class size of 16 students and a maximum of 18. For first grade, it says the optimal size is 18 and the maximum should be 20.

Parents of at least six Harpswell kindergartners submitted letters to the district explaining their concerns and asking that another first grade class be added next year. They included parents Jessica and William Knight.

“Research shows that smaller class sizes significantly enhance student learning outcomes, with studies indicating that classes of 15 or fewer students often result in higher test scores and improved social skills,” the Knights said in their letter. “Moreover, students in smaller classes are more likely to receive individualized attention, fostering a better learning environment.”

In her letter, parent Kelli Park praised her son’s kindergarten teacher, Beth Pomerleau, but said the class has too many students in it. Park cited several academic studies supporting her conclusion, including a 2019 paper published in the journal Educational Psychology.

“Smaller class sizes have been shown to promote a positive classroom emotional climate, with teachers reporting better relationships with students in small classes and increased opportunities for individual attention,” Park said, citing the 2019 study.

The Community School’s kindergarten class size is an outlier within the district. Among SAD 75’s four other elementary schools, two kindergarten classes have 17 students, two have 15 and the remaining five have 14. All five schools’ current first grade classes range in size from 13–18 students.

The district also has recommended minimum class sizes, in part to keep its budget manageable for taxpayers. Adding a second first-grade class at the Community School would result in two classrooms with 11 students each, well below the recommended minimum of 14 students.

Ryan Larsen, vice chairperson of the school board and chairperson of its Finance Committee, led the public hearing. Larsen, a Harpswell resident, thanked the parents for speaking out and said the board would discuss their concerns when it begins deliberating on the budget on Monday, March 24.

“This feedback will be something I’m sure we [will] bring to those discussions and talk about,” Larsen told the parents.

Currently, SAD 75 is proposing a 2025-26 budget of $57.5 million, an increase of 4.9% over the current budget of $54.8 million. District officials said the proposed budget is slightly below the amount needed to maintain the current level of services and that about $230,000 worth of cuts are being proposed.

Harpswell Anchor reporter J. Craig Anderson is a veteran journalist whose work has earned state, regional and national awards. Please send comments or news tips to craig@harpswellanchor.org.