The Aberdeen School Board will discuss two remaining options to reduce K-3 class sizes at its meeting Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Aberdeen High School. These options are to either add portable classrooms to all four of the district’s elementary schools, or to move sixth-grade students to Miller Junior High with seventh and eighth-graders.

A new state policy requires that all schools maintain an average of 17 students maximum in grades K-3, but Aberdeen is currently above that with about 19 students per class. Not complying with this policy would result in the district receiving about $600,000 less in apportioned state funding, the district estimated earlier this year.

Originally, the state was going to implement this policy in September 2018, but they since delayed its implementation to the 2019-2020 school year. This gives Aberdeen time to decide on either plan by the end of this school year.

Superintendent Alicia Henderson said the board won’t necessarily decide firmly on either option at Tuesday’s meeting, but they will be going over a new powerpoint explaining the impacts of the two class reduction methods.

The portables option would involve placing one structure on each elementary school (Robert Gray, McDermoth, Stevens, and A.J. West). According to the powerpoint, each portable costs $200,000, which, added with $25,000 set-up cost, comes out to $900,000 total for the district. Each one of these structures is able to house two full classes.

By moving six-grade students to Miller, it would also require adding two or three portables. That cost would come out to either $450,000 or $675,000. Currently, there are 271 middle schools in Washington State that offer grades six through eight, compared to 50 that offer just grades seven and eight.

In feedback from student parents regarding moving sixth-grade students to Miller, the powerpoint lists concerns such as growing up too fast, safety, and getting lost in the crowd. The powerpoint also says the district will form a transition task force and plan if they decide to move sixth grade students.

The board could still decide to not implement either and take the financial hit if they wanted to. Tuesday’s meeting at 5 p.m. takes place in the high school’s second-floor community room, and will allow for public comment at the beginning and end.