A proposal in the Florida legislature seeking to reduce individual class size could make its way back to voters as a referendum that could have another direct impact on school transportation services.

In 2002, voters approved a measure to amend the state constitution to reduce class size to 18 students for kindergarten through third grade, 22 for fourth through eighth grade and 25 in high school. The amendment is set to go into full effect in the 2010-2011 school year.

Education Week reported that Republican legislators have said it is too expensive. Meanwhile, Democrats say the change has been responsible for funneling more money to schools.

The new proposal currently in the legislature would keep the class-size requirements but would allow individual classes to exceed the averages by three students in kindergarten through third grade and by five in the other grades rather than the current stipulation that average class sizes be set on a school-wide level. Florida has spent about $16 billion on class-size reductions so far, and Gov. Charlie Crist estimates the proposed changes would save $350 million a year.

"Class size is a huge issue within the department because it's so expensive, but we really haven't had any discussions on it as it relates to transportation yet," commented Charlie Hood, the state director of transportation at the Florida Department of Education.

But he added that, if the legislature is successful in passing the proposal and voters approve it, the change in the class size requirement could definitely result in additional rezoning and busing of students to other schools. In other words, it would be the same challenging business as usual for school transportation departments in playing the game of hurry-up and roll-with-the-punches as they would attempt to move kids to schools with class sizes below the required average.

"This is normal with choice programs and all the things districts do every year. We [re-route and re-zone] at least every summer. But it could definitely be an additional impact," he said.