BEVERLY — Class sizes in third grade at Centerville School and sixth grade at Briscoe Middle School were the biggest concerns of parents who spoke out at last night's public hearing on the school budget.
The $45.6 million budget presented by Superintendent Marie Galinski includes the elimination of a third-grade classroom at Centerville, a decision that will result in classroom sizes of 28 or 29 students in the remaining two classes.
Seven of the 12 people who spoke at the hearing at the high school auditorium urged the superintendent and School Committee to restore the third-grade teacher position to reduce the class sizes.
"It's the average, middle-of-the-road student that has the most to lose when the numbers don't work," Eagle Lane resident Michelle Curreri said.
Centerville parents said the school is already facing challenges because it houses a special education program for needy children, as well as a large number of lower-income students, and the school has struggled to improve its MCAS scores.
Wentworth Drive resident Susan Whalen said "frequent outbursts" from students in the special education program can disrupt learning in the school.
"I'm not trying to knock the program. It's a great program with amazing teachers," she said. "But we are compromising the learning environment for the rest of the students. We need smaller class sizes because of this atmosphere."
Middlebury Lane resident Sherrie Otterbein said Centerville is an "at-risk school" where large class sizes will adversely affect learning.
"It will be the middle, average, capable-of-learning students that will eventually drown in the classroom," she said.
School officials and administrators did not react to the criticisms. School Committee President Annemarie Cesa said the public hearing is designed for officials to listen, not comment.
The budget plan calls for the third-grade classes at Centerville to be assisted by a graduate student from the Merrimack College fellow program.
Speakers also expressed concern about the incoming sixth-grade class at Briscoe, one of the largest in years.
The budget calls for the addition of an expressive-arts teacher and three Merrimack fellows to assist with the sixth grade.
Juniper Street resident Kathy Whitehair said the use of the Merrimack graduate students "could be a fantastic situation, but I want to know more about that."
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by email at pleighton@salemnews.com.
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