Agenda - 03-11-1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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,Xarcussen*s figures were based mostly on a cost analysis of each course offered. (The number 850' is of special interest because current projec- tions show that six yeaYs from now Dobbs Ferry may have only about 850 in its entire school district.) Studying course offerings, staff qualifications, and per pupil ex- penditure, John Riew recommended a minimum high school enrollment of 1,600, while Neal Rosenberg, considering onl per pupil costs, favored 2,000 as the optimum high school enrollment.* So, as you can see, there is a fairly aide range of recommendations for high school size in relation -to cost. An even larger range is found in size recommendations for school districts. Naturally, the area involved plays a role in the figures con- sidered as either minimal or optimal. For rural areas the lowest figure recommended as a minimum school district enrollment was 1,2000 while for urban and suburban areas the highest minimum was 10,000. The numbers men- tioned for districts considered to be of .ot size were considerably : larger. . . o ranging from 5,000 to 50,0001 (Obviously, the larger figure here As for an urban district.) ** Looking only at the lowest figure recom- mended for the smallest district size, Dobbs Ferry -- with its 1,256 stu- dents -- comes very close; but, it must be ..remembered, this was a figure for a minimal rural area. Looking at the lowest figure for a district considered to be the "best"-sized district, the number 5,000 is of special interest. This year*s combined enrollments in Irvington, Hastings, and Dobbs Ferry add up to less than 5,000 students. Since all of these recommended figures are the result of studies of diverse high schools and school districts, and many of them say have no bearing whatever in relation to Hastings,. Dobbs Ferry, and Irvington, we cannot lean too heavily on them. Current cost factors for our three dis- tricts as well as analysis of areas where savings could be effected and quality retained or even improved have to be of far non importance than anything said in any study not specifically dealing with our three villages. We need to look closely at the facts and figures bM and DIM_to see where ve are and where we seem to be heading. *For the bibliographical information on these authors, see X SqMIX 2f Res_ e arch, p• 62. **All of these figures are given in TAME II of A §UmarX ot ReyjjZch,. pp. 39-40. It is probable that some of the earliest studies referred to in these tables are of very little use now, so we have paid far more ; attention to those studies conducted in the years from 1958 on.