Increasing Class Sizes Could Save $6 Billion
Conventional wisdom suggests that students perform better when they are enrolled in smaller classes. But new research and advocacy groups suggest that targeted resizing of classes—including increasing class sizes in certain subjects—can save districts money while minimally impacting student achievement.
Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit organization that researches educational budgeting, estimates that up to $6 billion could be saved nationally by increasing class sizesby just one student. Currently, more than 80 percent of education spending is used on teacher and faculty payroll, according to the organization. A report released in May by the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, states that the same