Understanding school capacity models

 

The Wake County public school system bases its capacity estimates on models such as the one found below. The models are designed to create a starting point for calculating capacity. Adjustments are made on a school-by-school basis because many schools, especially those that are older and smaller, simply don’t fit the assumptions made in the models.

In the first sentence of the sheet below, the number 1 in the parenthesis (1) refers to the one pre-kindergarten classroom contained in all elementary schools. Pre-kindergarten enrollment is counted separately from K-12 enrollment for state accounting purposes. The number 10 that follows in parenthesis (10) refers to the number of students in the pre-kindergarten classroom.

Note that class size averages are different for grades K-3 and grades 4-5. It is also important to remember that these are class size averages, as described in the accompanying topic review.
Spaces listed as “Other Classrooms” are typically used for the following purposes:

• Self-Contained Classroom: Special education classes for children who do not use other classroom space.
• Resource Classroom: Special Education students who spent part of their day in pullout classrooms such as these and part of their day in the regular classroom.
• General Ed Support: This space is used for classes that require pullout classes but are not part of the special education program for children with disabilities. English as a Second Language classes, Title I programs, academically gifted classes and similar programs are examples.
• Computer/Resource Classroom, Art Classroom and Music Classroom are used as described.

The two lines of bold text above the classroom capacity box explain how grade levels are distributed depending on the calendar used. It is most efficient when the number of available classrooms matches the number of grade levels. But students don’t enroll in nice even lots of 21 (or 26) and many buildings were constructed without regard to calendar efficiencies. That means each school will see different efficiency ratings for the two calendars.

Many people have debated whether the current use of school space, some of which is dictated by state standards, is the best way to use the space. This explanation does not address that question. It is simply an effort to help readers better understand how capacity figures are calculated in Wake County’s public schools.