Class sizes in Lawrence elementary schools will shrink under a policy proposed Monday by the school board’s vice president.

Scott Morgan urged board members and district administrators to get behind a policy capping kindergarten- through third-grade classes at 22 students each and prohibiting enrollment of more than 28 students in fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade classes.

His policy also would make explicit the district’s class-size “goal” in primary grade classes of 17 students or less and upper-level elementary classes of 24 students or fewer.

“For me, there is nothing more basic than putting the highest quality teacher in front of the fewest number of students,” Morgan said.

Currently, the average class size in K-3 is 20.5 students. In grades 4-6, the average class size is 23.

Morgan’s proposal would come at a cost: $1 million annually to hire 25 teachers to enact the class-size cap and $2.9 million for 69 teachers to reach the class-size goal.

The difficulty of securing that much money is illustrated by the board’s recent endorsement of $4.7 million in budget cuts and fee increases to balance the 2002-2003 budget. As part of that budget, the board is laying off 65 teachers, counselors and nurses.

“This policy discussion is so fundamental to our operation that we simply must start now so that we can at least know where we want to go and how we are going to get there even if we can’t yet afford to buy the ticket,” Morgan said.

The board agreed to refer the proposal to the district’s policy committee. It might be next year before a class-size policy is adopted.

“This is a really important step the board can take,” Supt. Randy Weseman said. “It takes teaching and learning to the forefront of board policy.”

Board member Austin Turney added: “This puts in specific language something that has been on my mind.”

Other details of Scott Morgan’s proposal:

ban “combination” classes in which one teacher has a class of students from two grade levels. The district expects 16 combination classes next year.

set minimum class sizes of 11 in kindergarten through third grade and 14 in grades four through six.

permit standards in policy to be temporarily voided by the board in financial emergencies.