Rabon: Not so fast on that March class size session

Senate Rules Chairman Bill Rabon pumped the brakes late Thursday on talk of a March special session to consider North Carolina class size rules.

Sen. John Alexander, R-Wake, has told constituents to expect such a session. Rabon, R-Brunswick, reached via press spokespeople for Senate leadership, threw some cold water on that about 8:15 p.m., via an emailed statement.

"We appreciate and share Sen. Alexander's strong commitment to find a resolution that will ensure the smaller class sizes we've already paid for while funding enhancement teachers beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, but we have not yet determined a specific timeline," Rabon said.

Rabon also pointed to data, due back to the legislature at the end of February, Senate leaders have repeatedly said they want to have in hand before making decisions.

"Last year, school districts began raising concerns that they would no longer be able to fund enhancement teachers in subject areas like art, music, drama and P.E," Rabon said in his statement. "We asked them to share their calculations with lawmakers so we could understand how much, if any, additional funding was needed and are in the process of analyzing the data."

This has been one of the hotter issues before the legislature: Whether to implement smaller K-3 class sizes during the 2018-19 school year as planned or to delay them for the second time in two years. Fast-growing systems, such as in Wake County, have said they can't meet the legislature's mandates without more time, funding or some combination of major shifts, including significant increases in class sizes above third grade, physically adding classroom space and shifting students from one school district to another.

In October, House Republicans backed a plan to grant schools flexibility on the new restrictions, but the Senate declined.