Oregon Class Size Bill Misses Legislative Deadline

One of the most significant education bills in the Oregon legislature this session appears to be dead.

Parents and teachers often complain about Oregon’s large classes. Over the years, lawmakers have debated capping class sizes, particularly in the early grades.

House Bill 4113 would not have mandated specific limits on how many students could be taught in a single class. Instead, it would have forced discussion of those limits into contract negotiations, between school districts and their teachers’ unions.

But a spokesman for legislative democrat confirmed the bill failed to get a work session in time to get a vote on the Senate floor. He pointed to an upcoming committee tasked with big changes for Oregon’s education system.

Supporters like the statewide teachers union, the Oregon Education Association, said the bill would’ve helped students get individualized attention.

The Oregon School Boards Association opposed the bill, arguing it would have cost a lot without really helping students.

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