Fraser Residents sending their children to first grade at Marilla Primary School are wondering how classroom sizes could be so skewed.

The parents in attendance at the Iroquois Central School Board meeting Wednesday, Aug. 25, questioned the district’s decision to staff Marilla’s first grade with only two teachers, but provide Wales Primary — with only two more registered children — with three.

They urged Interim Superintendent Bruce Fraser and the board to create another teaching position to lower the ratio, which currently stands at 22.5 students per teacher.

The ratio is the largest per-class population in any of the four grade levels in all three primary schools. Only the Intermediate School’s fifth grade has a higher average class size — at 24.3 students — than Marilla’s first grade class at the elementary level.

Fraser said he’s monitoring the enrollment situation, but wouldn’t be recommending a new teacher if class sizes remain the same on day one.

“Part of the commitment to the smaller primary school level is the trade-off of higher class numbers,” he said. “We ’re in the tightest situation possible here.”

He said adding another teacher at Marilla would instantly turn one of the district’s more unfavorable situations to its most appealing at 15 students per classroom, something the district shouldn’t pursue.

Fraser did add that should more enroll in first grade before classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 8, the district would look at adding another teacher.

He said it would be unfair to the staff, students and parents of the district to do with two teachers at one school what another school does with three.

“We would have trouble defending the situation at Wales if that were to happen,” he said.

The board defended Fraser’s comments at the Aug. 25 meeting during discussion. Trustee Suzanne Wolff said the current staffing situation should be continuously monitored, but should at least be tried at the current number.

“I don’t want any children to suffer,” she said. “That’s why I’m on the board. Right now we’re looking at smaller enrollment compared to those classes that just graduated. So I would at least like to see this tried.”

Fraser suggested other possibilities be explored before the district hires an additional first grade teacher. He said teacher aides could be part of the solution, and would be used at the discretion of the school’s principal.

The next regular Iroquois Central School Board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15, in the boardroom in the intermediate school, 2111 Girdle Road, Elma.