A. Class size, as used in Section 18-113.1 and Section 18-113.2 of this title, shall be determined by the average daily membership divided by the full-time equivalency of the instructional staff assigned to each grade level by site. Full-time equivalency of special education teachers, Chapter 1 teachers, and teachers of classes not subject to class size limitations and the average daily membership of self-contained special education classes shall not be counted in class size computation.

B. As used in this section, self-contained special education classes are those classes whose students attend the same class for three (3) or more class periods and who have individualized education plans.

C. Beginning with the 1996-97 school year and each school year thereafter, no teacher who is counted in class size count for grades seven through twelve shall be responsible for the instruction of more than one hundred forty (140) students on any given six-hour school day. Class size count shall be taken during the month of October of each school year on a date set by the State Board of Education. If the class size count is in excess of the limits set forth in this subsection, the school district shall be subject to the penalties provided for in this section.

D. Students within a class which is not subject to class size limitations pursuant to subsection D of Section 18-113.1 of this title shall not be counted for purposes of the limitations set forth in subsection C of this section.

E. No school district shall be penalized for exceeding class size limitations set forth in this section if the limitations are exceeded beginning after the first nine (9) weeks of the school year.

F. The first year that a school district exceeds the class size membership limitation as established and computed in subsection C of this section, the district shall receive as a penalty a reduction in the State Aid for the district. For each child in excess of the class size limitation, the reduction in State Aid to the district shall be determined as follows:

1. Multiply the averaged number of the October class size count of pupils which is in excess of the class size membership limit as provided for in subsection C of this section by the grade weight and by the Base Foundation Support Level for the current school year;

2. Multiply the averaged number of the October class size count of pupils which is in excess of the class size membership limit as provided for in subsection C of this section by the grade level weight and by the Incentive Aid guarantee for the current school year times twenty (20); and

3. Sum the products of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection.

G. If a school district exceeds the class size membership limitation as established and computed in subsection C of this section for two (2) consecutive years, the district shall receive as a penalty denial of accreditation in accordance with the requirements of Section 3-104.4 of this title.

H. For the purpose of determining whether a penalty for exceeding class size limitations shall apply, a federally funded bilingual assistant shall not qualify as a teacher's assistant.

I. Any school district which at the beginning of the school year does not have sufficient classrooms to meet the class size limitation provided for in this section as determined by guidelines established by the State Board of Education shall not be penalized for failure to meet the class size limitations provided for in this section if:

1. The school district has voted indebtedness, at any time within the five (5) years preceding the year the district exceeds the class size limitations or during the year the district exceeds the class size limitations, through the issuance of bonds or approval by voters of issuance of new bonds for more than eighty-five percent (85%) of the maximum allowable pursuant to the provisions of Section 26 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution as shown on the school district budget filed with the State Equalization Board for the current school year and certifications by the Attorney General prior to February 1 of the current school year; and

2. On the date of filing of the school district budget with the State Equalization Board, the school district is voting the maximum millage allowable for the support, maintenance and construction of schools as provided for in subsections (a), (c), (d) and (d-1) of Section 9 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution and Section 10 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution.

J. Any school district which exceeds the class size limitations as set forth in this section shall submit a written report to the State Board of Education, on or before July 1 of each year, setting forth the procedures that the district will follow in order to comply with this section.

K. School districts which receive state-appropriated funds pursuant to the provisions of Section 18-112.2 of this title and do not comply with the provisions of this section shall be subject to loss of State Aid for each child in excess of the class size limitations as specified in this section.

Added by Laws 1989, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 30, operative July 1, 1990. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 263, § 71, operative July 1, 1990; Laws 1993, c. 361, § 7, eff. July 1, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 314, § 3, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1996, c. 350, § 3, eff. July 1, 1996.