Education activists trying to cap class sizes in Florida

MIAMI -- When Lawton Chiles High School opened three years ago, Joshua Hicks and his classmates had plenty of elbow room. By his senior year, it was a different story: 38 students in American history, 35 in marine biology, more than 30 in English.

Hicks, now a 19-year-old college freshman, says his old Tallahassee high school -- like dozens statewide -- is bursting at the seams and he wants state leaders to take action.

"You can't put a price on education," Hicks says. "You should be willing to do whatever it takes."

Hicks has become a staunch supporter of a bitterly debated initiative on the Nov. 5 ballot that would limit the number of students in public school classes. The issue has surfaced in Gov. Jeb Bush's re-election campaign and raised questions of whether Florida can afford the plan.

Bush opposes Amendment No. 9, saying it would force tax increases or drastic budget cuts affecting services for the elderly and disabled. His Democratic challenger, Bill McBride, supports the proposal and accuses Bush of neglecting pressing education problems.

If approved, the proposal would cap classes at 18 students in kindergarten through third grade, 22 students in fourth through eighth grade and 25 students in high school. Limits would be phased in through 2010.

An average Florida classroom now holds 23 students through fifth grade and 26 students in middle and high school.

At least 40 states have tried in recent years to reduce school overcrowding, but many of those states now face budget deficits.

California adopted an ambitious reduction program in 1996, limiting classes to 20 students in kindergarten through third grade. Recent studies were inconclusive in determining whether the program improved student performance, and many school districts have been forced to reduce teacher training and cut librarians' jobs.

Analysts say Florida's ballot-initiative approach -- involving a citizen petition drive -- is unique at a time when class reduction plans are popular but many states are short of money and teachers.

"Where is the funding going to come from? And if you get the funding, where are the teachers going to come from?"

The measure sounds appealing to many voters, but the total cost remains in question. Estimates range from $8 billion to $27.5 billion over eight years, with Bush using the high-end figure to try to scuttle the initiative.

In a survey in late September, 71 percent of the respondents said the state should pay to reduce class sizes. But only 49 percent said they would support a tax increase or program cuts to pay for the measure. Forty-two percent said they opposed the amendment.