The Mattapoisett School Committee tried to solve three interlocking issues on Monday amidst differing opinions.

Over the course of the school year, the committee has discussed whether or not to add out of district students through the state’s school choice program.

With next year’s sixth graders being divided into three classes of 24, Chair James Higgins proposed using school choice as a way to generate revenue that could offset the cost of hiring an additional teacher to reduce class size.

The size, said Higgins, is “a number larger than anyone would really like.”

Higgins proposed adding six school choice students for grade one, one for third, one for fourth, two for fifth, and four for sixth. The total of 14 students would generate $70,000.

Keeping classes below 25 students was a priority for the committee and Superintendent Doug White as well as parents who were concerned that the combination of adding school choice students and an unforeseen number of students moving into the district could push class sizes too high.

Penny Cole, the parent of a soon-to-be sixth grader, said, “I don’t think short-term school choice should be used.” But she added, “We’re looking at a 25 percent increase in class size for this next year’s sixth grade class. They’re going to go from 18 to 24.”

Committee members Gerald Johnson and James Muse said they were in favor of school choice, but for the good of children coming in, not for financial gain.

“I can’t see using them,” said Muse of the school choice students. “I am not in favor of it to solve this year’s budget or another year’s budget.”

Greta Fox, another elementary school parent agreed. “I don’t think school choice should be tied to what’s going on in one class. To tie it to this one situation is a huge error,” she said.

Muse proposed allowing three first grade students to enroll through school choice, which would give them the opportunity to spend their entire elementary school in the district. “We should start early, so they can grow through the system,” he said.

Other options were presented to compensate for the sixth grade class size. Member Grace Knox said, “Every year we have a surplus of $100,000 or more. Perhaps with some creativity we can use the dollars that we have now to offset the sixth grade.”

She added that adding a full-day kindergarten program would also bring in $20,000 this year.

The committee also discussed adding a part-time teacher to the sixth grade class and dividing classes into subjects for half a day.

Selectmen Chair Jordan Collyer reminded the committee that a new position over 19.5 hours would require adding benefits.

“We cannot do that. We carry your health care,” said Collyer of the town. “We’ll need you to offset that somewhere.”

In the end, the committee voted 3-2 to accept three students in the first grade to school choice. They also approved a full-day kindergarten program unanimously.

The committee will move towards hiring a part-time teacher.