CLASS-SIZE REDUCTION PLAN RIGHT ON TRACK : SIMI FIRST-, SECOND-GRADERS WILL BE IN HOMEROOMS OF 20 THIS FALL.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Acting on a statewide plan to reduce class sizes, Simi Valley school officials have trimmed first- and second-grade classes to 20 students in time for the start of school Thursday.

Average class size in first and second grades during the previous school year was about 29, according to district officials. In order to implement the class-size reduction plan, 62 new full-time teachers were hired and six portable classrooms were moved to elementary campuses, officials said.

``We're moving right along,'' said Deputy Superintendent Susan Parks. ``We can't wait to actually see it happen.''

A special group of principals, teachers and parents had their first meeting in late July to figure out how to implement the program by September.

The ``Class Size Reduction Task Force'' assessed each of Simi's 19 elementary schools in terms of space, weighing options such as adding portables and moving computer labs to create more room.

``When we first heard about this, all we could think about was the calendar,'' said Parks. ``This is such a positive thing, everybody wanted it to happen. So we worked together, and made it happen.''

The move followed Gov. Pete Wilson's signing of a class size reduction bill, which provides $771 million to schools statewide that lower classroom sizes in the lower elementary grades.

The legislation seeks to achieve a maximum 20-to-1 pupil-to-teacher ratio in kindergarten through third grade. The money is available to reduce classes sizes in up to three grade levels per district.

The Simi Valley Unified School District received about $2.7 million under the plan.

The district also had to put up an additional half-million dollars of its own to participate in the program, said Dave Kanthak, assistant superintendent for business services. This will come from the district's general fund, officials said.

Enrollment for grades one through three next year is projected at 4,260, officials said. That breaks down to 1,486 students in first grade, 1,364 in second grade and 1,410 in third grade.

The district originally had planned on hiring 78 new teachers to meet the 20-to-1 ratio. After school starts, the district will hire additional staff if needed, based on official enrollment counts, Parks said.

The Task Force will continue to meet throughout the year to give updates on how the program is working.

Later this fall, school officials will discuss reducing class sizes in either kindergarten or third grade throughout the district.