A Matter for the Voters

California is just beginning an ambitious program to cut the size of classes in public schools. The governor and the Legislature have acted to encourage a reduction in the number of students in primary-grade classrooms to 20. Voters should be able to decide whether they want to extend that program, which through diminishing the totals in each class will make more classrooms necessary. That’s why the Legislature should put the matter before the voters by placing a $4-billion school building bond measure on the November ballot.

The key question is just how class reduction is to be accomplished. Already some primary-grade classroom space is being freed up by using space differently, by innovative scheduling and by adding portables. How then to accommodate student growth and reduce class sizes in all grades? In addition to the pressure from the class-reduction campaign, California’s K-12 student population is expected to grow by 140,000 this year.

How much debt the state should take on is always an issue that should be thoroughly considered. For now, however, the only decision to be made rests with the Legislature, which must act soon if the school building bond issue is to be on the November ballot.

Clearly this statewide funding proposal should go to the voters so they can have their say on providing more space for California’s schoolchildren.