Too Crowded? Compare Class Sizes at Local High Schools

Class size at Half Moon Bay High School pushes past the statewide average but has a lower pupil-to-teacher ratio than other California high schools, recently released figures from the 2011-12 school year show.

Half Moon Bay High School, with 935 students, boasts slightly lower class sizes than Pacifica public high schools at 27.6 students per class. The state average is 23.6, according to the statistics published on the Ed-Data website.

Terra Nova High in Pacifica comes in with the biggest average class size: 28.7. It also has the largest pupil-to-teacher ratio, with 24.5 students per educator.

Check out area high schools here or do your own comparisons on the Ed-Data website:

Aragon High

The statistics are published by the the Ed-Data website, a partnership between the California Department of Education (CDE), EdSource, and the Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team to provide data about K-12 education.

There's a longstanding debate surrounding the importance of class size. A report issued two years ago by the Brookings Institute indicated significant class size reduction—along the lines of seven to 10 students—had the biggest impact on student achievement, but this was much more pronounced in younger students than at the high school level.

Do you think average class size at Half Moon Bay High School is too high? How does this impact students' learning? Tell us in the comment section below.

READ MORE ON PATCH: 

• California License Plate With Farming Theme to Hit Half Moon Bay Roads
• Should Free Condoms Be Available at Local High Schools?
• Compare Coastside Teacher Salaries
• Problem Solved? 8th Grade Math Curriculum May Change in Half Moon Bay
• Is Gov. Brown Right to Dole Out Money to Schools Unequally?

Keep up with local news — follow Patch

Sign up for Half Moon Bay Patch’s daily newsletter
"Like” us on Facebook
"Follow” us on Twitter

Want to share your opinions with the communities of the Coastside? Start your own blog here.