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Although they started this school year in a new building capable of housing 150 more students than the previous one, some Carderock Springs Elementary School students are feeling a little crowded this year.

The 2,200-student increase in enrollment across Montgomery County Public Schools is exemplified in the Bethesda school as administrators are reporting a surge in second- and fifth-grade class sizes.

In an e-mail to parents, Principal Rock Palmisano said, as of Aug. 17, second-grade classes already had exceeded 28 students each — the recommended maximum for grades 1-5/6 is set in the district's Board of Education policy guidelines at 23 students per classroom. There were 58 students enrolled in the two fifth-grade classes on Aug. 17.

"Due to unprecedented budget constraints" his request for an additional class was denied, the e-mail said, but the school was given a 0.6 classroom teacher; a part-time position designed to break apart larger classes for a portion of the school day.

Parent Teacher Association President Wendy Kuhn said she's seen concern among other parents about class sizes this year, but thinks the extra teacher will be enough to curb problems with crowding.

"We had a concern that was immediately addressed," she said. "It was re-assuring to see that."

The more than 144,000 students currently attending classes in the county school system represents a 2,200-student increase over last year and 800 more than planned-for this year, said schools spokeswoman Lesli Maxwell.

Enrollment data at individual schools is not typically finalized until October, Maxwell said.

She said the 1-student-per-class boost can be seen more definitively at schools such as Carderock, where enrollment has jumped unevenly.

"It isn't distributed uniformly over the whole district," she said. "Some schools will be more impacted than others."

Records show there were 41 students enrolled in second grade and 51 enrolled in first grade at Carderock last year. These grades are separated into two classes.

As of Aug. 17, there were 58 students in second grade and 71 in first grade. First graders were separated into three classes this year.

Palmisano said he was unable to comment on Tuesday.

aruoff@gazette.net