The Crossroad of Challenge and Opportunity in Fiscally Stressed Schools and Communities

John W. Sipple, PhDAssociate ProfessorNYS Center for Rural Schools (NYRuralSchools.org)Community and Regional Development InstituteCornell University

North Country Symposium, April 2013

My Goals

• Stimulate a discussion of opportunity in an era of challenge

• Share insight from recent research on the interface between schools and the communities they serve.

• Offer a view of schools linked to communities• Offer tools & ideas: Immediate and long-range.

Central Questions

• Schools Communities• Communities Schools• When did Schools and Communities become

separate?• What are key Policies/Programs?• What should WE do?

A bit of History

• 1910 - Administrative Progressives• 1953 - US Dept. of Health, Education & Welfare• 1979

US Dept. of Education US Dept. of Health and Human Services

The Real World?

Health

Nutrition

Opportunity Assets

Today in NYS

“Integrated, Basic Science of Pediatrics”

A new perspectiveShonkoff et al (2012). Pediatrics.

Key Tensions & Actions

Short-Term Long-Term

School-basedBig

Community-based Also Big

Key Policy Levers (e.g.)

• Early care and UPK• District Consolidation/School Closure• Curriculum (Local vs. Common Core)• Teacher Hiring• Teacher Quality (APPR)• Revenues? Expenditures?

• Each of these shapes schools and communities

PAD County Profile(Pad.human.cornell.edu)

Ability to Pay19

9319

9519

9719

9920

0120

0320

0520

0720

09$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

Median Income Wealth/Pupil

NYCBig 4Small CityHN RuralAve NeedLow Need

Ability to Levy Tax19

9319

9519

9719

9920

0120

0320

0520

0720

09$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

Median Property Wealth/Pupil

NYCBig 4Small CityHN RuralAve NeedLow Need

$20/$1000 = $20,000/pupil

Lyson Hypothesis

• A school is vital to the survival of rural communities.

• Viable villages generally contain schools: dying and dead ones either lack them or do not have them for long.

• The capacity to maintain a school is a continuing indicator of a community's wellbeing.

• School district consolidation has deleterious effects on small rural communities.

Rural Villages in NYS

Small with school

Small without school

Large with school

Large without school

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

199020002010

Num

ber

of v

illa

ge

Lyson Redux1990 2000 2010

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

55,000

60,000

65,000

Median House value (1990 $)

SM-SchoolSM-No SchoolLG-SchoolLG-No School

Lyson Redux1990 2000 2010

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Household Income (1990 $)

SM-SchoolSM-No SchoolLG-SchoolLG-No School

HH Inc2000

HH Inc2010

PerCap Inc2000

PerCap Inc2010

H Value2000

H Value2010

Large + +School +School X Size -

<39 - - - - - -W Child + + + + + +% White - - - - -White collar + + + + + +Self Employ + + + + + +No Commute

R2 .79 .60 .73 .57 .71 .51

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

% of 4 year olds in UPK Program by NRC Category and Year

Big 4HN Sub/CityHN RuralAve NeedLow Need

Infants Toddlers PreSchool0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Percent of Age Eligible Children Served by NRC Cat-egories

Big 4HN Sub/CityHN RuralAve NeedLow Need

Capacity of Communities to Serve Age Cohorts by NRC Categories in 2007

  Big 4HN 

Sub/City HN Rural Ave Need Low Need Total

No UPK

# Districts 4 29 162 102 297

Infants 4% 3% 8% 10% 8%

Toddlers 12% 5% 13% 19% 14%

Preschoolers 165% 41% 44% 61% 51%

With UPK            

# Districts 4 40 125 195 32 396

Infants 13% 14% 5% 9% 14% 8%

Toddlers 26% 23% 7% 16% 30% 15%

Preschoolers 73% 91% 47% 55% 86% 59%

Capacity of Communiites to Serve Age Cohorts by NRC Categories in 2007

  Big 4HN 

Sub/City HN Rural Ave Need Low Need Total

No UPK

# Districts 4 29 162 102 297

Infants 4% 3% 8% 10% 8%

Toddlers 12% 5% 13% 19% 14%

Preschoolers 165% 41% 44% 61% 51%

With UPK            

# Districts 4 40 125 195 32 396

Infants 13% 14% 5% 9% 14% 8%

Toddlers 26% 23% 7% 16% 30% 15%

Preschoolers 73% 91% 47% 55% 86% 59%

Teacher Labor MarketsKilleen, Loeb & Williams (2013)

Next Steps – What to do?

• Easy access to Data – Tools (NYRuralSchools.org)• Informed Local Decision making• Local and Regional Analysis and Planning• Demographics & Enrollment• Financial Planning/Scenarios• District Reorganization Analysis• Public Participation and Communication

Budget Playground

Reorganizer

Recent Trends

Universities and Higher Ed

• Market forces• Competition and Access• Technology• MOOCs• Public Good• Utilitarian/Professional vs. Academic