With staffing cuts in other areas in Lambertville, one thing stands out. It is long past time to start a full-day kindergarten class.
There is a lot of concern among parents about the need to cut two full-time staff members and make a resource room teacher part-time at Lambertville Public School.
The move would create one fifth-grade class of 25 and a sixth-grade class of 23.
The school cites declining enrollment as the reason for the cutbacks. The parents are reasonably upset. They feel their children’s education would suffer in quality with less one-on-one instruction in large classes.
We understand their concerns, but we agree with the administration and the board that it would be wasteful to have classes of 12 and 13 for the fifth-graders and classes of 11 and 12 in the sixth grade.
The school’s average class size this year is 14, lower than the state average by several. And these fifth- and sixth-graders are nearing the time when they will be part of larger classes at South Hunterdon Regional.
When it comes to actual staffing needs, one thing stands out. It is long past time to start a full-day kindergarten class.
Many children already spend long hours in preschool or some other type of child care with education available. They come to elementary school more prepared, and it only makes sense to take full advantage of that preparation.
It also, quite frankly, is a help to those families where both parents work, more the norm than the exception these days.
The board deserves a pat on the back for taking the initiative to form a task force of community, Board of Education, administration and faculty members to discuss the problem of declining enrollment.
Chief among the topics when it comes to reallocation of resources should be a full-day kindergarten.