Enrollment Is Down?

Wonder why enrollment is down......The News Journal reports today that our favorite school superintendent Margaret Smith says Volusia Schools will face even more budget woes. This according to her is due to declining enrollment, some 1,415 less students and it will probably be worse before the final numbers are in.

Now Margaret, do you think some of these people are taking their children out of the county school system because of the cuts. Children want to play sports, have music opportunities and other special programs and extracurricular activities. Busy kids stay out of trouble.

Oh and class size....no matter how you cut it 220 less teachers across the county means bigger classes. Bigger classes make it harder to teach, those that need extra help fall through the cracks and those that are above average are not challenged, there is just no time. It puts the teachers in a terrible situation.

With a budget shortfall, cuts are inevitable but perhaps some more thought as to what should have been cut might have been in order. I do not think I saw any big salaries or administrators getting cut, check out this org chart, what are these people doing? I did see the ridiculous idea to cut coffee pots and personal appliances. That was a brilliant idea there Margaret. I know of one elementary school in this county that would probably do better without its Principal. I am sure that salary would pay for three second year teachers and several coffee pots.