Shrinking classes considered by APS

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Your child's classroom could shrink.
    
A New Mexico senator wants to change the state's constitution to make classroom sizes smaller.
    
While APS, the largest district in the state, is on board everyone knows the change would cost a lot of money.

“The one thing we have heard repeatedly from parents and students is frustration with growing class sizes,” Monica Armenta with APS said. “They don't like the fact that class sizes have grown because budgets have shrunk.”

It's a struggle for almost a dozen districts in the state, how to keep classes smaller and give each student individual attention.

“We do everything we can to give them the academic edge,” Armenta said.
    
Right now the public education department only allows a certain number of students per class.
    
However districts can ask for a waiver, something APS and 10 other districts did just recently.

“It really is a funding issue for us,” Armenta said. “Putting those waivers in place and expanding class sizes have saved us $18 million and will save 319 positions in 13 alone.”
    
Senator Tim Keller says he knows budgets are tight but it's time for the state to stop allowing waivers.

“Every year we waive that statute and what a lot of states have found is that if you don't put this in the constitution politicians will always wave it each year,” Keller said.
    
He's pre-filed a bill to limit class sizes by 2020, for APS it would mean about five fewer kids per class on average from what they have now.
    
Keller says it's time for lawmakers to step up.

“With this constitutional amendment we are going to be forced to fund our school appropriately,” Keller said.
    
But he's not ready to say just how that would get done.

“If this passes and the voters agree we would have five years to figure it out,” Keller said.
    
Armenta says the district fully supports Keller’s bill.

“But we are not naive we know that fundamentally there will be some kinks and challenges,” Aremnta said.

Keller says he expects support in the legislature for the bill, but ultimately voters would have to approve it.
    
Besides funding, another difficult part of pulling off this plan would be hiring all the teachers needed.