Survey of Pennsylvania public schools: fewer teachers and larger classes

A new survey that seeks to gauge the effect of Pennsylvania’s budget cuts on public schools shows that fewer teachers are in charge of larger classes and programs ranging from tutoring to summer school have been scaled back, as the Associated Press reports. The results are pretty much what you’d expect:

The survey released this week by the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials is based on responses from 294 of the 500 school districts.

The survey blames the cutbacks on the nearly $1 billion reduction in state aid, as well as the expiration of temporary federal funds.

It says more than 5,100 school employees, including more than 1,600 teachers, were laid off. Seventy percent of districts increased average class sizes, and nearly half reduced courses in foreign languages, music and other elective courses.