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22 students is the cut-off for each classroom, one student over and another room and teacher would be added and the class divided. This can get expensive and the Senate Education Committee is proposing to do away with set classroom sizes to save money.
Teachers think this is a bad idea. Candace Tickle is a first grade teacher in LISD. The largest class she has taught in eight years on the job is 24 students.
"When you have a larger class you have to change the way you teach," says Tickle.
At the beginning of the school year all classes have that 22-to-1 ratio; but with transfers brought in throughout the term, the numbers can change upwards.
"When you have more than 22 you can still effectively do your job you know, you might have to move a little quicker, sweep your eyes a little more, and walk a little faster," says Tickle. "You can do it if the circumstances call for it."
School district administrators want to keep the small numbers with more room for flexibility.
"When you factor all those changes ahead for Texas public schools certainly I'm interested in flexibility particularly during the school year when we know that complying with class sizes is sometimes disruptive for kids and families," says superintendent Karen Garza.
Tickle doesn't like to lose any of her kids.
"You've got an investment with those kids and they've got an investment in you and you've got a relationship with them," says Tickle. "So just to say you've got 23 kids and we've got to take one out that could have drastic impact."
While this is just an option from the state to cut cost Lubbock ISD will continue to find other ways to save money before adding more students to the classes.
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