Carson City's kindergarten classes too large

Carson City's kindergarten classes are bursting at the seams but Associate Superintendent Dorothy Todd said the district is helpless to do anything about it.

"We'd like to see the kindergarten ratios lower, but we don't have the classrooms," she said. "The funding just isn't there."

Nevada law requires that school districts make a concerted effort to maintain a 15 students to 1 teacher ratio in first and second grades and in at-risk kindergartens.

Carson City kindergartens have a ratio of 25:1.

A 19 :1 ratio is required in third grade.

Todd said there are two ways the target ratio can be achieved. First, class sizes can be reduced. Second, an additional teacher can be placed in a classroom, allowing 30 students and two teachers.

All of the district's 24 sessions of kindergarten have one teacher. Half of the 30 first-grade classrooms have one teacher and the other 15 have two teachers.

Six of the second-grade classrooms have one teacher and 15 of them are team taught. In third-grade, 28 have one teacher and three have two.

The ratios for first through third grades are barely a fraction above the target.

Third-graders have a 19:1 ratio. Second-graders are at 15:1 and first-graders have a 15 :1 ratio.

"In grades one through three, they're right on target," Todd said. "We can't ask for more."

Todd said the state school board can grant a variance to districts if the district can show good cause as to why the ratios cannot be met.

"Our good cause is that we just don't have funding for new classrooms," she said.

If you go:

What: Carson City School Board meeting

When: Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Where: Sierra Room of the Carson City Community Center, 815 E. William St.