Michigan schools often exceed class size limits despite teacher contract caps
Ionia — Across Michigan, teacher union contracts signed by school leaders identify ideal class sizes to promote learning within elementary schools, but often provide paths to easily exceed the caps they picked out themselves.
The Detroit News analyzed class size data obtained through public records requests and 20 contracts signed by teachers' unions and school districts, determining that in at least 14 of the 20 districts, or 70%, elementary school classrooms surpassed either limits or goals they recognized as best.
The findings demonstrate that many Michigan school administrators recognize the importance of small class sizes, that they have had difficulties achieving their own goals and that the strategy state officials have relied on to prevent overcrowding — collective bargaining — has frequently fallen short.
More: Michigan school districts pack kids into classrooms as reading scores falter
The examination of teacher contracts was part of a larger, three-month investigation into elementary school sizes in Michigan. Over the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, The News obtained data for elementary schools in 48 districts and documented 206 individual elementary classes — from kindergarten through fifth grade — that had at least 30 kids in them, according to tallies released by the school districts themselves. Two of the 50 districts The News sought data from didn't fulfill the requests.
Michigan Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Dayna Polehanki, a former teacher and a Democrat from Livonia, said having 30 students in an elementary school class "would not be optimal."
"I'd like to see class sizes capped in high poverty districts in K-3 to give the kids that time with the teacher," Polehanki said. "So the teacher has that individualized time with that student."
Polehanki, who previously taught older students at New Haven High School, recalled once having a class with 35 students. The school district paid her extra money for the large class, she said.
"Thirty-five is way too many for a teacher to have," Polehanki said.
For many school districts in Michigan, the only limits on class size currently come from collective bargaining agreements between the districts and the local teachers' unions.
However, according to the 20 contracts reviewed by The News, the labor agreements generally allow for arrangements where teachers are compensated extra or receive other benefits from the districts if their classes exceed the negotiated and prioritized caps, making the limits easy to circumvent.
The fine print
Ionia's Rather Elementary School serves about 300 students in west Michigan's Ionia County. The county's official website describes its community as providing "a relaxed and family-oriented quality of life with safe neighborhoods, strong schools and healthy lifestyles."
Rather's performance on state testing has hovered around the state average over the last three years, according to data maintained by the Michigan Department of Education. However, its ratio of students per instructor, currently 20-1, exceeds the state average of 17-1.
The brown brick school was constructed in 1960. A banner outside of it reads, "Excellence every day."
The contract between the Ionia Public Schools Board of Education and the Ionia Education Association specifically aims to limit the size of classes for kindergartners, first graders and second graders to 26 students and for third graders, fourth graders and fifth graders to 28.
"The board, administration and teachers recognize that class size and pupil-teacher ratios are important considerations for instruction and maintenance of an optimal learning environment for children," the contract said.
However, the contract also allows for the stated limits to be exceeded as long as an elementary school teacher is paid "$500 per semester."
In disclosures to The News, Ionia's Rather Elementary School reported having two fifth-grade classes that exceeded the self-imposed limits this school year, with 30 and 29 students, respectively. Last year, Rather had two fourth-grade classes and one fifth-grade class that surpassed the limits.
Goals and maximums
About 90 miles east of Ionia in Davison is Central Elementary School, which Davison Community Schools describes as "our district's oldest building," opening in 1932.
Like a handful of other districts, the contract between the Davison Board of Education and the Davison Education Association features both "goals" and "maximums" for class sizes, an apparent acknowledgment that what would be best for students in the eyes of school leaders isn't currently achievable.
"The board and the association recognize that optimum school facilities and class sizes are desirable to insure high quality education that is the goal of both the teacher and the board," says the contract signed by Holly Halabicky, president of the Board of Education, and Sara Howes, president of the local teacher's union.
For third grade, the district's stated goal is to have no more than 25 students in a class. But the contract also sets a maximum limit of 31 students in a third-grade class. In a disclosure to The News, Davison reported having three third-grade classes at Central with 30 students each and one with 31 students this year.
Davison Superintendent Matthew Lobban said the class size goals represented his Genesee County school district’s ideal instructional environment.
"The 'maximums' acknowledge that, despite our best efforts, achieving those goals is not always feasible due to funding constraints, space availability and fluctuations in student enrollment," Lobban said. "Our district continually strives to meet our goals, but we must also ensure compliance with state funding and budget limitations."
Similarly, the contract between the Swartz Creek Community School District Board of Education and the local teachers' union details "ideal" class sizes and "suggested maximums."
"The board recognizes the importance of maintaining reasonable class sizes for the most effective learning environments," the contract says.
The ideal class size for first grade through fifth grade is 25 students. The suggested maximum is 30. Swartz Creek disclosed having two fourth-grade classes at Elms Road Elementary School this year, with 31 students and one with 32 students — seven students above what the district said is "ideal."
'Overage premium'
At Swartz Creek, the contract says a teacher with a class that's larger than the suggested maximum is paid "additional compensation," according to the contract.
The district has to pay a teacher $250 per semester per student over the suggested limit, the contract says.
At Byron Center Public Schools in west Michigan, the rate is potentially more profitable for teachers. There, teachers get $18 per day for each student over the set limit. At Flint Community Schools, the contract sets an "overage premium" in which elementary school teachers get $12 per student over the limits per day.
The agreement between the Mount Morris Board of Education and the Mount Morris Education Association identifies "targeted" class sizes and "maximum" class sizes. For first through third grade, the "targeted" size is 28 students per teacher. The maximum size is 32.
If the district exceeds the "targeted" size, the teacher can choose to have, "at least 50% of the time," one compensatory day off per semester over the limit or $100 per student over the limit per semester.
Among those signing the contract was Mount Morris Superintendent Mickie Kujat.
High limits
The 20 contracts The News examined were at the following school districts: Anchor Bay School District, Bangor Township Schools, Byron Center Public Schools, Chelsea School District, Coldwater Community Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Ionia Public Schools, L'Anse Creuse Public Schools, Lakeview Public Schools, Lapeer Community Schools, Marysville Public Schools, Mount Morris Consolidated School District, Pittsford Area Schools, Pontiac School District, Swartz Creek Community Schools, Utica Community Schools and Westwood Heights Schools.
Through the class size data released by the districts for the last two school years, 14 of the districts clearly had exceeded their own goals or maximums in at least one class, according to The News analysis.
Six districts didn't appear to exceed their caps: Bangor Township Schools, Chelsea School District, Grand Rapids Public Schools, L'Anse Creuse Public Schools in Macomb County, Utica Community Schools and Westwood Heights Schools. But because The News examined only one or two schools in each district, it's possible that more than 14 districts exceeded their own standards.
Still, some of those districts set high limits that would have been difficult to surpass.
For example, the contract between the Bangor Township Board of Education and the Bangor Township Education Association allows up to 30 students in a kindergarten class and up to 32 students in a first-grade class.
"Both parties recognize that one factor, optimal class size, is desirable as it contributes to the quality of instruction and learning, which is a mutual goal," the contract also said.
Bangor's West Elementary and Central Elementary each reported having classes with 30 or more students in them over the last two school years.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan schools often exceed class size limits despite teacher contract caps
