Until this year, virtually all school districts in California participated in the state's class size reduction program, with the state footing most of the cost. This year, a number of school districts have indicated that they will be dropping the program, which caps class size at 20 in grades one through three, because of money shortages. Districts found themselves shouldering more of the program's costs as teachers advanced up the pay scale faster than state funding increased, and the state's faltering budget will give districts less discretionary funding to cover the difference this year. Faced with the choice of raising class sizes or eliminating art, music and science teachers for elementary schools, some districts (and parents) are opting for larger classes. For details see "Class Size Reform Eroding," by Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times,
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