Pupil Rolls Drop At Schools (SoCal...guess why?)

The Whittier Daily News ^ | September 5, 2006 | Pam Wright, Staff Writer

[truthkeeper]

Pupil Rolls Drop At Schools
Officials fault rise in housing prices

WHITTIER - The surge in Southland housing prices has been cited as an important factor in an exodus of families from the Whittier area, causing a steep decline in K-12 enrollment in almost all local school districts.

The loss of students translates into big money, with the South Whittier School District losing more than a half million dollars in revenue during 2005-06 school year 2005-06 because of a 12 percent enrollment drop.

District officials project a loss of at least $1 million for 2006-07, said David Morton, the district's chief business officer.

"Declining enrollment has drastic effects," Morton said. "Average daily attendance makes a huge difference. In addressing it, you can't bring costs down as fast as you're losing revenue."

Whittier City Unified School District lost about 400 students in the past year, prompting Superintendent Carmella Franco to start tracking where families were moving to.

She found that nearly a quarter of those had moved out of state - even out of the country - the top three destinations being Arizona, Texas and Mexico.

"I was very interested to find out where they were going," Franco said. "So I asked my staff to build a record from transcript requests. Nearly 50 percent of California districts are experiencing declining enrollment. Meanwhile, the Inland Empire is growing like crazy. "They're getting the funds that we should be getting," she added.

[Gorjus]

"They're getting the funds that we should be getting," she added.

Interesting focus. It's all about the money, to these so-called 'educators.' Where is the, "We're obviously not providing what the people want, so they're voting with their feet," focus?

And, in another surprising newsflash, their wildly proclaimed 'friendliness' to homosexuals has resulted in a drop in population in the SF Bay area. Who'da thunk it?

[mathluv]

'"They're getting the funds that we should be getting," she added.'

You don't get the funds if you don't have the students.

Must be another whinnnnning lib.

[Moonman62]

The same thing is happening in South Florida after decades of portable classrooms and school overcrowding. Now there is negative growth.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

I was going to post the same whining lib comment but you beat me to it.

Tagline bump! for emphasis

[nmh]

Amazing, isn't it?

Enrollment has DROPPED and she's complaining about another school district getting THEIR money.

[nmh]

Hope New Jersey is taking note of this ... .

We have more people LEAVING than coming to the state, LEGALLY.

[The Brush]

They're getting the funds that we should be getting," she added.

In other words; We want something for nothing

[bboop]

Some are running screaming to homeschooling. Of course. The teachers' unions are accomplishing what the auto unions in Detroit did -- make things so utopian that the whole darned industry craters.

In this case, it will be a good cure.

[D-Chivas]

If they could just find a way to tax the citizens of Mexico...

[AppyPappy]

If they could just find a way to tax the citizens of Mexico...

They have. It's called California Sales Tax.

[Straight Vermonter]

Meanwhile, the Inland Empire is growing like crazy."

Inland empire???

[chemicalman]

"They're getting the funds that we should be getting," she added.

Maybe they should have "ghost" students like when New Orleans had "ghost" deputies on their police force.

[truthkeeper]

San Bernardino/Riverside counties..eastward. (Used to considered "the sticks.") Has undergone temendous housing, business, and population growth in the last 15 years, and is really going nuts now.

[Night Hides Not]

Parents moving from CA to TX need to brace themselves, especially if they have kids in HS: their children will be far behind their peers, thanks to the poor education environment in CA.

My evidence is empirical, but the consensus among the teachers that I've spoken with, HS kids transferring from CA are normally two years behind their peers taught in TX schools.

Don't know what it is for other states--any and all input is appreciated.

It's sad: I received my education in CA public schools when they were excellent. Every student in my 6th grade class was reading at 11th grade level or higher. One novel we read in class was Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.

[Tax-chick]

Enrollment has DROPPED and she's complaining about another school district getting THEIR money.

What they really want is just to get the money, without having all those annoying students around that they have to pretend to educate :-).

[Graybeard58]

They have no supply of "undocumented" students?

[dearolddad]

Inland empire???

Riverside, San Bernardino, Colton and Redlands. Southern CA

[ClearCase_guy]

Perhaps I'm too sensitive, but with all the talk of "La Raza" and the "Reconquista agenda", as demographics shift in California, the term "Inland Empire" seems to have frightening connotations.

[xarmydog]

Maybe parents do not want their children in kindergarten being taught that homosexuality is normal.