Norwell Schools Report Enrollment Dip, Class Size Pressure

For more South Shore news, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. 

NORWELL – Norwell Public Schools’ enrollment decreased this year, but several grades across the district are seeing class sizes rise, according to an October 20 presentation by Superintendent Matthew Keegan.

Keegan said districtwide enrollment “has decreased by about 21 students year on year.” The report detailed how that shift is playing out at each school, along with the effects of prior staffing reductions.

Keegan said enrollment dropped at the elementary level after last year’s unusually large fifth grade advanced to middle school.

“We actually decreased that large class last year in Vinal in the fifth grade [as it] moved up to the middle school,” he said.

Cole and Vinal now have 24 K–5 sections each, down from 25 last year. Cole’s kindergarten is above the district’s preferred number.

“With the 93 kindergartners, we are over the class size average, which we try to keep at 22,” Keegan said.

Cole’s second grade also required an additional section. “We have five sections in second grade because we have a population of 90,” he said. Third grade at Cole has three sections.

Middle school enrollment grew significantly, particularly in sixth grade.

“This year, we have a great increase in students in sixth grade going to 195,” Keegan said. Last year’s sixth grade had 172 students.

To accommodate the larger class, sixth grade teachers adjusted their schedules.

“The sixth grade teachers agreed to each pick up an additional section [and] forgo the AE program that we have for the middle school students,” Keegan said.

The report also showed more students assigned to study halls.

“We almost doubled the number of study halls because we did not have sections for kids to go into,” Keegan said.

Keegan noted that some middle school classes now reach the thirties, saying they “aren't really sustainable for that space, especially at middle school.”

At Norwell High School, staffing cuts have affected student schedules. Keegan said the number of free periods rose compared to last year.

“Last year we had 1,139 open blocks… This year we're at 1,406,” he said. That shift means “just over half the students” now have at least one study period per term.

The high school also reduced world language and English electives after staffing changes. The district cut French 1 and discontinued Senior Seminar, Reader’s Choice and The Epic Journey.

Keegan said recent resident movement patterns could affect future enrollment projections.

“What we're seeing for the first time this year, we had more move outs than move ins,” he said. He added that families moving to town “aren't necessarily having the same number of kids” as those who moved in years ago.

The district expects an updated enrollment projection report in November.

Keegan said class sizes rise quickly when staffing is reduced.

“In a small district like ours, if we start cutting elementary school teachers, those class sizes are going to jump very, very fast,” he said.

He noted several areas where class sizes and limited staffing overlap, including kindergarten, middle school core classes and high school electives.