Upper Moreland Bracing for Influx of Kindergarteners

Upper Moreland School District officials are working to keep classroom sizes small, particularly for early learners.

But, with only two weeks left before the start of school, Upper Moreland's Superintendent Robert Milrod said as many as 20 more students could be enrolled for kindergarten, pushing the current projection for 226 students considerably higher.

"We have to try to ensure that in kindergarten we’re not exceeding the numbers we’re looking for," Milrod said.

The district looks to maintain a classroom size of 20 to 21 students per class in kindergarten, he said. Right now, that's the ratio the district has in mind, Milrod said, adding that that could change with last-minute enrollees. 

The district has seen the biggest shift since beginning to offer full-day kindergarten, he said. Last year, for instance, 245 students were enrolled in that program as compared to 167 students in half-day kindergarten.

The board policy regarding first-grade enrollment is to have class sizes of no more than 25 students, but Milrod said his preference is for 20 students per class. 

"It is first-grade when the academic program truly takes off," Milrod said. 

The district aims to keep second-grade class sizes at 22 to 23 students, with class sizes growing to 27 or 28 students in upper grades, he said.

For the lower grades, at least right now, "We are heading toward those averages," Milrod said.