HOOKSETT — Class size numbers released by the Manchester School District reveal that while improvements have been made at Manchester High School Central, which the vast majority of Hooksett's high school students attend, the city school may still be in breach of contract with the town.

According to the figures, released to the Hooksett School Board and posted online over the weekend, 67 classes at Central were over 30 students as of Oct. 16, with sizes ranging from 31 to 36 students. Twenty-seven of those, nearly half of the classes in question, were math classes. Labs were not included in the figures.

The figures showed a marked improvement from earlier in the year when reports from students and parents of classes of more than 40 students and chronic text book shortages prompted the Hooksett board to send a letter to Manchester Superintendent Thomas Brennan informing him that Manchester had 180 days to address the problem before the town would move to declare a breach of contract.

Improvement or not, however, the district remains in danger of breach with Hooksett. “There are a substantial number of classes that are over 30, particularly at Central,” said David Pearl. “As a School Board member, that concerns me. It conflicts with our contract.”

Hooksett's contract with Manchester states that Manchester's high schools must “qualify as comprehensive high schools in accordance with New Hampshire statutes and state standards and [be] accredited by the New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges, Inc., by the Commission on Public Secondary Schools.”

The document later defines “material breach” of the contract as the “failure to qualify” under these standards.

New Hampshire State Law's definition of “minimum standards for public school approval” states that High School class sizes must remain at “30 students or fewer per teacher,” with exceptions such as for chorus and band.

The Commission of Public Secondary Schools demands in its 2011 Standards for Accreditation that “student load and class size enable teachers to meet the learning needs of individual students.”

On Oct. 2, Brennan appeared before the Hooksett board to discuss the issue, noting that while improvements were being made, not all of Hooksett's concerns would be amended within the school year.

“The likelihood that we will have the staffing to ensure that all courses at Central will be below 30 (students per class), I'm not too optimistic about, but we will reduce the number,” Brennan said at the time. “I know the agreement, and understand what it says in terms of school approval, and my meetings here before I never held back, so I want to make it clear that we're trying … but right now I believe I'm at the end of my allotment in terms of staffing.”

He noted at the time that, according to information he had received from Central's principal, math classes will be down to 30 or less, while English and Social Studies classes were areas of concern. Only 12 English and social studies classes are over 30 students.

The figures also revealed continued overcrowding at other Manchester schools. At Manchester Memorial High School, 58 classes were over 30. Manchester High School West, which Hooksett and Manchester have discussed “putting to use” in easing the issues at Central, fared better, with eight classes over 30 and none over 33.

Hooksett currently has 404 students at Central and 150 at West. Their contract with Manchester expires on June 30, 2023.

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Brendan Clogston may be reached at bclogston@newstote.com.