In a move Garden City School administration feel confident will work because it has in the past, two first grade classes will be moving from Homestead School to Stratford School in Garden City to eliminate overcrowding problems. The migration is in the works, according to Superintendent Dr. Stephen Leitman and is the most educationally sound solution to keeping class size down.

"There has been a decision after much discussion with regard to the

overcrowding at Homestead School. We have looked at a number of variables, one of them being increasing class size. Another one was the possibility of putting portables on the site, which left a lot to be desired because we're going into construction and that particular space would be an impossible situation with vehicles moving in and out," Dr. Leitman said. "We're not looking to increase class size at all. The idea of moving classes from one primary building to a nearby elementary school has been done in the past. The decision has been made and is being mobilized now."

Kenneth Monaghan, Garden City School Board president, is confident the move will work. "We knew this would work because it's worked in the past. This was the best solution. We realize parents will still be upset by this fact. We, however, hope they will be comforted by the fact that we've already begun planning. We're going to try and execute this without disrupting families. We as a Board remain committed to providing quality education for those two classes."

By adding a class in both kindergarten and first grade at Homestead School and moving two first grade classes to Stratford School, Dr. Leitman said kindergarten students per class will decrease from 22 to 18.4 students and first grade students per class will decrease from 25 to about 21 students. By the next scheduled Garden City Board of Education meeting, officials said they could have a short presentation regarding this matter. The district policy, according to Dr. Leitman, is 20 students or less in kindergarten classes and 25 students or less in first grade classes.

Dr. Marylou McDermott, Stratford School principal turned Assistant

Superintendent of Instruction and Personnel, is organizing the move and has assured the two classes will be adjacent to each other on the first floor of Stratford School. Dr. McDermott met with school officials early last week to work out the mechanical aspects in moving this process forward, Superintendent Leitman added.

Homestead School Principal Bernice Acevedo will maintain her principal role over both classes. Dr. Stephen Neidell is the new interim principal at Stratford School.

Superintendent Leitman said officials are looking at the feasibility of those students within a block or two of Stratford School that could easily walk to the building. "Those are the students we'd like to move over," he said. "We don't want to break up siblings."

Some feel the sell of a smaller class size is the school administration's hook. "You really need to play that up and I think you're making the right decision," One meeting goer said. "I support you very much on it."