Coming from an average New Jersey suburban town of about 23,000, I am used to schools that graduate about 300 or so students per year. It is really interesting to visit local schools in the area here in Vermont, because most of them are much smaller than what I am used to seeing. I like to be able to see things from all perspectives and witness with my own eyes and ears the positives and negatives of varying school sizes. I find that no matter what there are always both pros and cons...
Pros: (1.) Small class sizes are a huge positive as far as the effectiveness of learning in my opinion. This allows teachers to get to know their students and their backgrounds on a deeper level than say, in a classroom of 30 or 40. Also I think this allows students to get to know their peers and feel more relaxed in class, rather than overwhelmed by the large number of faces staring at them when they present in front of the class or raise their hand to answer a question. (2.) Students came from many different towns rather than just one. I think this allows for a wider background of students and more diversity within the school community. If fostered correctly it can also effectively build good community relations between neighboring towns, rather than rivalry. (3.) The overall feel of the school was warm, homelike, and comforting. Many of the classrooms even had curtains on the windows and painted walls. The hallways were decorated with murals, student artwork, and various visual stimuli. All these touches add to the overall environment of the school and help the students feel like they are in a safe, welcoming place, rather than a prison they are forced to attend.
Cons: (1) While small class sizes can be a pro, they also offer setbacks. Some courses cannot be offered because there simply are not enough students to enroll in it. Therefore class selection and variety are limited. The small amount of students also hurts the schools ability to offer a wide range of sports teams and other extracurricular activities. Options are therefore limited in that area as well. (2) The many different towns sending students to the school presents the problem of busing. I have very limited knowledge on financial information, but I am sure that it must cost a significant amount of money to provide busing for students, and I would assume that the further the buses have to travel, the more money it would cost. Whereas in a situation where only one town is being bussed to the school, it would probably cost less. (3) Many of the staff members had multiple positions at the school. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for them to take on so many roles, rather than be able to focus on just one. I wonder if the quality of their work is affected because of the quantity of tasks they have resting on their shoulders.
Overall, I very much liked the school I visited, though one major concern I had was that the front doors were wide open and no one was even assigned to monitor who entered the school. I felt that was definitely unsafe. Other that that, it was a very visually stimulating school and I loved the fact that art seemed highly respected within the school. Though it was a small school, the art program blew away anything I had experienced back in Jersey. Art courses were only half-year courses, which I thought was great because it would allow the student to experience more art mediums in a year. I was also impressed with the smartboard usage, which is something I never experienced back in my hometown.
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