(September 30, 2003) — Due to the California budget crisis, the Glendale school district has increased class sizes at Clark and other GUSD schools. At many schools, the number of available courses has decreased, directly affecting the student body and the staff. For the 2003-2004 school year, Glendale has reduced the number of Clark’s full time equivalents, or FTE, which represents teachers who teach a total of five periods, from 43 to 41. Also, last year’s average, or student-teacher ratio, of 33.8 students per class has increased to 36 students per class. Although this may mean more students per teacher, this is “potential cost savings” because the overall cost for the teachers employed in the district decreases. Furthermore, there has been an addition of fewer than 20 new sophomores and juniors and a high count of about 305 incoming freshmen for the new school year. Therefore, classes have increased even more. For this current year, classes offered were based on student demand. Courses like drama, poetry and statistics that did not have enough applicants to make up a whole class were not offered this year. Principal Doug Dall said that the goal is to “maintain the program without cutting it back too far.” Sophomore history teacher Cynthia Puchniarz, whose biggest class has 39 students, said that she doesn’t mind the increase in class sizes. “I have four classes, but it’s the class load of five,” she explained. “But my classroom is large so I’m not going to complain.” Spanish teacher Julianne Melville does not have as large a classroom as Puchniarz’s, but has 40 students including her assistant in her sixth period class. Because of the limited space for additional desks, three students have to sit on the couch for a class. “It would be more beneficial if the classes were limited to 32 students because they would get more individual attention, but I accept it.” Clark faced a similar increase in class size in the spring of 2002 when the budget cuts forced the administration and staff to consider taking out the school’s 7th and tutorial period. However, because the seven-period day allows students to take electives and compete on athletic teams at their residential schools, the staff voted to discontinue the school’s participation in the statewide class size reduction program in order to maintain the 7th period and tutorial program.