Because of the projected growth this year, many new teaching positions were added throughout the Oak Harbor School District.

But the district hasn’t seen the growth that was expected.

The student population was projected to increase by 144 new students, but ended up with only 81 more than last year.

“We’re well above what we were this time last year,” said Steve King, assistant superintendent for the school district, “but we’re well below projected.”

The elementary and middle schools increased by fewer students than expected, but the high school went over projections, with 22 more students than budgeted.

“High school is the one place we were above projections,” King said.

To adjust for the smaller enrollment than they expected, the teaching staff increased by three fewer positions than they budgeted for.

“We certainly have grade levels that are full and grade levels that have some room,” said Lance Gibbon, superintendent of the Oak Harbor schools.

Gibbon said the average class sizes for kindergarten through eighth grade is down by a little more than one student per class.

Kindergarten shows the most change, though, with an average class size of 20.3 students. Last year, the average size was 23.9, a change Gibbon said was “very intentional.”

“If we’re going to reduce class sizes anywhere, we’re going to reduce in kindergarten.”

Fourth and fifth grade, however, have the largest average class sizes, 25.8 and 26.1 respectively.

Audra Evans, who teaches fifth grade at Oak Harbor Elementary with a class size of 26 students, said that having such a large class limits the amount of time she can do one-on-one or small group instruction.

“Smaller class sizes would be optimal for teaching,” Evans said.

Erica Bailey, another fifth grade teacher at OHE with 25 students in her class, said she agrees that class sizes should be smaller.

“I’d love to have fewer, but it’s manageable,” Bailey said.

Grading takes more time with a larger class, she said. “Twenty five is certainly better than 28.”

However, class sizes shrinking doesn’t seem very possible in the near future. With the Navy planning to bring more personnel and their families to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station over the next few years, the school district expects to see major increases in enrollment.

“We definitely hope to be able to maintain … those levels, or close to those levels, as much as possible,” Gibbon said.

This year, the school district added six new elementary classrooms in three different portable buildings. Gibbon said that in the future, portables is the most likely option to accommodate more growth.

He also said they hope to continue to budget for more growth than they get, because it’s easier to add fewer teachers than it is to add more in the middle of a school year.

Gibbon said they will “try to always have room and have capacity.”

“The problem is … it’s always projections,” Gibbon said. “This year, we projected too high.

“We’re going to do the best that we can to anticipate growth.”