The Rainy River District School Board voted in favour of increasing secondary school class sizes from a 21:1 student-to-teacher ratio to 21.09:1 at a special meeting here last night.
While Ministry of Education class size policy states boards should stick to a 21:1 ration, there is an exception in which boards may change this ratio up to 22:1 if there’s a board resolution drawn up and then passed by trustees.
Chairman Dan Belluz said the board likely will be at a 21.09:1 ratio for the 2002-03 school year.
If the board had not adjusted the ratio last night and stayed at 21:1, it possibly would have to hire 1.7 teachers for the coming school year.
Instead, last night’s decision means a savings of about $86,000—freeing up some money to go elsewhere within the board’s budget.
