Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS): A phrase created by me to describe a phenomenon taking place across the United States, affecting both privately and publicly funded schools, from Kindergarten all the way through University levels.
“The average cost of tuition and fees at a private, non-profit, four-year university this school year was $31,231—up sharply from $1,832 in 1971-1972 (in current dollars). At public, four-year schools, tuition and fees cost about $9,139 this year. In the 1971 school year, they added up to less than $500 in current dollars, according to the College Board.
…amenities have become an important part of the race for the best and brightest, and well-off, applicants…
The rising cost of college sports including generous coaching salaries—has also raised concerns, especially when tuition subsidizes money-losing programs and increases the financial burden on students who don’t take part in athletics.
Public and private colleges and universities expanded their payrolls by 28 percent between 2000 and 2012, more than 50 percent faster than the previous decade…
…that payroll expansion added higher benefit costs for full-time faculty and staff, many schools offset those spending increases by relying more heavily on part-time instructors.
…teaching salaries, one of the biggest single line items, have remained relatively flat…
So if the cost of providing an education has remained fairly stable, why does the price students pay keep rising?
The reason, say researchers, is that deep budget cuts in state funding for public higher education and shrinking subsidies at private schools have pushed a greater share of the cost onto students and their families.”-CNBC, Why does a college degree cost so much?
Incomplete list of publicly announced education layoffs & school shutdowns from April to June 2015:
Misleading for-profit technical school DeVry is shutting down at least 12 campuses in Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas and Florida! Apparently DeVry has decided to move courses from brick -n-mortar classrooms to the internet.
Alaska: Anchorage School District warned they could eliminate 74 jobs from next school year, blaming state level funding cuts.
Arkansas: The Pine Bluff School District killed 68 jobs without warning. One elementary school and one junior high school (‘middle school’ is a British empire term) are being shutdown. News reports said the affected employees found out they were jobless from the news media, school administrators have apologized for the “mistake” in the way they announced the layoffs. The whole thing is being blamed on crashing student enrollment, which has caused the district to be short at least $3.1-million USD. Little Rock School District is losing $37-million in funding, and will be forced to layoff at least 30% of employees! Administrators say they will also cut in half how much they pay into the employee health insurance, which means employees will have to pay a lot more for their Obama Care! Pulaski Technical College blaming what I call DSS for forcing them to shutdown their west Little Rock (wLR) campus. In Fall 2014 they had a total of 510 students on the wLR, but for Spring 2015 only 362 students attended classes on the wLR campus!
Arizona: University of Arizona warned of mass layoffs in August, this after the new state budget forces the school to make $43-million in cuts! Northern Arizona University warned it must cut courses and eliminate 60 jobs for next school year, blaming $17.3-million in state level funding cuts. Phoenix based for-profit Apollo Education Group-University of Phoenix announced that 6-hundred additional employees across the U.S. will become jobless! This is on top of the previously announced 9-hundred! It’s blamed on Disappearing Students Syndrome.
California: The Los Angeles Unified School District approved plans to eliminate 774 jobs despite an increase in funding and a 10% pay raise for employees! Administrators blame DSS, but critics say the new budget, with its pay raises and mass layoffs, doesn’t make sense. It was also revealed that LAUSD has to pay more into their employee retirement plans (ObamaCare anybody?). The LAUSD superintendent commented that “There are no more presents under the Christmas tree!” Local news reports say the superintendent implied he would be stepping down within the next six months. In San Diego, Bridgepoint Education issued WARNs saying 19 people will be laid off in August. Head Start Child Development issued dozens of WARNs saying they are shutting down operations throughout California, hundreds becoming jobless by the end of June! Santa Anna based Corinthian Colleges announced it will shutdown all remaining 28 campuses across the U.S.! It’s the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education which revealed the for-profit school was frauding its students! In San Francisco, Arizona based Apollo Education laid off 60 people. Monterey Peninsula Unified School District warned that at least 17 employees will be laid off, due to lack of money. PTA leaders and parents are pissed-off and called Bull-Shit on the money issue: “We already pay for half of these positions! In the PTA we pay for science lab, the PE teacher. When does this stop? What’s next, the office clerk? Recess, instruction? Is this all going to fall on the parents? Why don’t we go to a private school already?”-unnamed mom and PTA member
Colorado: Zenith Education Group continues mass kill-off of jobs, this time in Thornton. 131 call center employees were laid off! It’s the result of Zenith’s takeover of failed Corinthian College, as well as DSS: “We had a reduction in the student population and we are merging some call centers to the one located in Tampa.”-Krissy Humenesky
Connecticut: Newtown school administrators announced they want to shutdown the Hawley Elementary School, due to DSS. Pissed-off taxpayers then demanded to know why $50-million in donated money is being spent on rebuilding the infamous Sandy Hook Elementary School if there aren’t enough students! Some parents even said they did not want their children attending the new Sandy Hook school.
Florida: Military themed Acclaim Academy shutdown without warning. Various school district administrators said they were told by the owner of the military charter schools that there was no more money. Thousands of families now struggling to find schools for their children. In Ormond, Zenith Education Group laid off 18 people.
Idaho: Northwest Nazarene University is in trouble. The Administrators want to layoff staff, but the staff countered with a 77% no confidence vote. Now layoffs are on hold pending an independent review of the private university’s budget. According to Idaho Ed News, data being kept from public view (it had to forced out through the Idaho Public Records Act) show a possible conspiracy on the part of 32 of the 115 Gem State school districts to make their teachers look good. The Idaho Statesman reported that “Administrators from 32 districts gave every teacher identical, overall scores of ‘proficient’ during 2013-14 evaluations…” and that “Teacher evaluations are important because, for the first time, they will be partially tied to teacher pay and the expenditure of an estimated $125 million in taxpayers’ money through the career ladder pay plan being rolled out over the next five years.” With so many districts reporting almost the same teacher evaluation results it “makes it impossible to identify the top- and low-performing teachers”. Cash strapped School District 93 taxpayers voted down the latest school bond, again! The bond issue was put to voters a second time after it was voted down the first time. On top of that district administrators called for a recount this time, the recount actually resulted in more votes against the bond issue! Idaho State University (ISU, my alma mater) is finally facing up to the fact they’ve been losing students (what I call DSS) for years, and now they’re cutting programs. Some courses, like German and French, will no longer be offered as a BA degree, just a piddly certificate (in fact many other courses will now get you just a certificate). The administrators voted to eliminate their BS in Theater, Bachelors in University Studies, MS in Physical Education Pedagogy, Graduate Certificate in Gerontological Studies and Bachelor of Music in Music/Business. ISU will also shutdown their Environmental Science and Policy Research Institute, Center for Environmental Sensing, Geospatial Research Facility, Musculoskeletal Research Institute , Permian Research Institute and International Center for Bayesian Methods (by Fall 2020). This means mass layoffs, but administrators didn’t mention it. ISU is so proud of their austerity that they went on local TV news to brag about it: “…ISU also received a commendation from our regional accreditor, The Northwest Commissioner On College and Universities, for the process we undertook, that we can be a model for other states.”-Selena Grace, Associate Vice President for Institution Effectiveness, KPVI interview
Illinois: The 44 years old Sunshine Preschool, based in the Wheaton Evangelical Free Church, shutdown. School District 65 will eliminate 29 full time jobs for the upcoming school year. School administrators say they’re preparing for the state to slash and burn their funding even more. School District 122 laying off nine school lunch employees, because they are considered unnecessary. It’s actually part of a larger plan to cut $2.3-million from next school year’s budget. After 43 years Joliet Area Suzuki Strings shutdown, blaming crashing student enrollment: “We just cannot financially sustain it anymore, our numbers have been gradually going down over the last four or five years. Last year, we were down to 40 students, and now we’re at about 25. You just can’t exist with that.”-Mary Smelser, founder
Indiana: Muncie Community Schools warned of layoffs, even after selling off their Wilson Junior High School building. Administrators said that because of DSS, and years of consolidation ops, their Central High School is now overstaffed.
Kansas: Kansas City Public Schools laid off 31 employees and cut pay for hundreds of others, blaming $2-million in state taxpayer funding cuts.
Louisiana: In Port Allen, First Student lost its school bus contract, 72 people now jobless. Company administrators say the loss of contract was “sudden” and “unforeseen”. Baker School District administrators revealed they’ve already laid off employees for the upcoming school year, but refuse to say how many will become unemployed, which will include teachers with tenure. They’re short $1.2-million.
Maryland: Baltimore City School District laid off 209 employees! Administrators blame a $108-million shortfall.
Massachusetts: Gordon College said at least 14 employees will be laid off. As of last month only 475 freshman students made the required deposits for the upcoming semester. In New Bedford, the Horatio A. Kempton Elementary School being shutdown. Administrators are hoping that by shutting down a school they won’t have to eliminate jobs. The Dracut Public Schools announced they must layoff 30 people, due to declining tax revenues which are the result of the bad economy. In a true sign of a failed system, the idiot School Chairman is pushing to create new taxes and fees for the already financially strapped residents. 51 years old Marian Court College shutdown due to “insurmountable financial challenges…..given declining enrollment numbers”. Reports say Marshfield Public Schools’ plan to eliminate jobs has been softened by the retirement of 25 teachers.
Michigan: East Grand Rapids Board of Education laying off four people, cutting pay and moving some teachers to part time. The district is so short on funding that parents have started donation drives for the schools. Battle Creek Public Schools eliminating 23 jobs. The district is lacking $2.1-million. Hazel Park Schools announced they will eliminate 116 jobs and slash salaries over the next five years, due to Disappearing Students Syndrome (a 30% decline since 2010)! Marshall Public Schools laid off eight people. Another seven employees are being pushed into retirement. Administrators say enrollment is fine and blame the layoffs on state taxpayer funding cuts and the loss of grant money. Wayne-Westland Community Schools laid off ten teachers. The Livonia Public Schools laid off 40 teachers. Plymouth-Canton Community Schools warned 73 teachers of pending layoffs. Garden City Schools laid off 46 teachers. Ypsilanti Community Schools laid off 18 teachers, blaming it on a $2.2-million drop in state level taxpayer funding caused by a 7.8% drop in enrollment (they lost 325 students from last year)! It must be pointed out that state funding was actually increased by $163 per student, but Disappearing Students Syndrome is so massive in Michigan that the increase in per student state funding cannot make up for the losses! Calvin College bribed seven employees to quit, and warning that outright layoffs are coming. The Christian college has been relying on debt financing and is fighting to pay it down. Christians have already donated $25-million to pay down the debt, and the school is trying to cut $4.5-million in costs by 2017. News reports from 2013 said ‘Christian’ administrators overspent on new construction and made bad investments with donated money. In one case, $5-million that was supposed to pay down the debt was used to buy real estate instead! This is a clear case of Christians putting their faith into the money changers in the Temple (capitalist administrators) rather than in their God: “The former administration, the former president certainly had a reputation as someone who understood finances and business. He came from a banking background. And so I think there’s some bewilderment at the scope of the problem.”– David Diephouse, professor (who is obviously of ‘Blind Faith’)
Flint School District laid off more employees, this time 55 teachers. Another 16 employees retired. Because of DSS, and the increased cost of health insurance caused by ObamaCare, the school district is trying to cut $5.8-million! Farmington Public Schools increased their layoffs to at least 180 for the 2015-16 school year: “It’s not as though we have a hidden pot of money.”-George Gurrola, vice president
Minnesota: The Litchfield School District warned it must increase the number of employees on its layoff list, due to DSS.
Mississippi: The Greenwood School District laying off 28 people.
Nebraska: In Grand Island, after 20 years the Heartland School of Dance shutdown due to the greedy attorney-landlords: “I recently received a lease-termination notice from the studio’s landlords…….The old heating system is worn out and too expensive to fix.”-Karen Jamieson, owner of the dance studio
New Jersey: Brick Township Public Schools laying off 24 bus drivers, but warned that by not laying off more bus drivers they are going to have cut jobs elsewhere. Their original plan was to eliminate 31 bus drivers, but they caught heat from the union. Newark, the biggest city in the state, eliminated 155 school district employees, and the teachers union says that doesn’t include teachers, who are next on the chopping block! Trenton Board of Education announced they must eliminate 162 jobs! Administrators blame competition with charter schools. Paterson School District eliminating 547 jobs! That’s 60% more than what was being discussed! The state appointed school superintendent said the district must cut at least $21-million from its budget. Crashing & burning Atlantic City School District conducted a second round of school district cuts, laying off 75 more employees. It was also revealed that more than 30 employees were forced to resign or retire early. Administrators warned that a third round of layoffs is in the works and that a total of 4-hundred employees could be let go! Sussex County Community College eliminating 11 jobs. Administrators blame a new $3-million renovation project for the Student Center, and five years of DSS. They expect to lose $1.2-million in the upcoming school year due to crashing student enrollment. The American Boychoir School in Princeton now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, saying they don’t even have any money to finish the school year: “The board has been compelled to consider several drastic alternatives, including closing the school immediately and ceasing operations.”-Rob D’Avanzo, Chairman of the Board
New York: In NYC, Cambridge University Press issued a layoff WARN saying 67 of their 190 employees will be jobless by July. In Brooklyn, Catholic Charities issued a shutdown WARN saying all their Early Childhood Education Programs will close in July, 89 jobs lost. In Albany, the Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in July, 37 jobs lost. The Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Girls is also shutting down in July, 35 jobs lost. In Rochester, Durham School Services issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in July, due to loss of contract, 142 jobs lost! In Niskayuna, school bus company First Student issued a shutdown WARN for July, saying 62 people will become unemployed. Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School issued a shutdown WARN, saying 48 people will be laid off in August. The Tuxedo Union Free School District announced they will layoff 20 people for next school year, they say it’s that or shutdown the George F. Baker High School. All American School Bus issued a shutdown WARN for June, at least 207 jobs lost! The Center for Educational Innovation issued a WARN saying they’ve lost a contract and at least 32 people will be laid off by July. The Commission on Economic Opportunity issued a WARN saying they are shutting down their Stepping Stones Two childcare center in Rensselaer, 34 jobs lost in August. College of Saint Rose eliminated 40 jobs, and slashed Obama Care benefits for employees (meaning employees will have to pay a greater share of the cost of their healthcare). Christian administrators blame The Rapture, I mean what I call Disappearing Student Syndrome (DSS). In just five years the school went from having a budget with a “modest surplus” to a “structural deficit”. Hartwick College eliminated more than 20 jobs, without warning. Administrators also suddenly changed their 2015-16 school year budget. Apparently those who were laid off are forbidden to talk about it: “This culture will exacerbate the uncertainty and negative feelings following the layoff. They will feel that leadership does not care….”-Theodore Peters, professor
In Hyde Park, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Hyde Park Nursery School and ‘his’ Roman Catholic Regina Coeli School. Regina Coeli School currently has only 50 students enrolled. In the case of Hyde Park Nursery School, church administrators blame city administrators: “Unfortunately, with the introduction of universal pre-kindergarten, the Hyde Nursery School and many other preschools, day care centers, and early learning centers were never offered the opportunity by the Hyde Park Central School District to provide universal pre-kindergarten to their students.”
North Carolina: For profit student rip off artist Brookstone College of Business suddenly shutdown, administrators admit they can’t comply with new federal education rules that require higher education to prove its students can find jobs after they graduate! Madison County School District forced to shutdown their Laurel Elementary school. It’s blamed on DSS. AB Tech announced it will shutdown the Haynes building and the Technology Commercialization Center on its Enka campus. News reports say AB Tech is prepping the Enka campus for sale. It’s blamed on the loss of $2-million in county taxpayer funding.
Ohio: News reports say 30 years old pumpkins, turkeys, beef/education venue Schapperacher Family Farm forced to shutdown. The operators would only say “…our family has been asked to vacate the Schappacher Farm property.” After 130 years (surviving numerous depressions and recessions) Christian Saint Aloysius School. It’s blamed on DSS. Saint Peter’s Child Care Center shutdown. Church administrators say “The Child Center’s operational losses have been substantial, with a projected shortfall this year in excess of $50,000. These factors make it impossible for St. Peter’s to continue offering this service to our community.” After five years non-profit Boneyfiddle Arts Center shutdown, due to lack of funding: “It is really sad and painful for us, because we worked so hard to accomplish what we had. When we realized we could not meet our strategic goals we knew it was the logical choice.”-Jamie Benedict
Oregon: The Oregon School Board laid off five special ed assistants. Reports say it was the second round of layoffs so far. Administrators have decided that special ‘needs’ students don’t need the help, but it’s really because of DSS. Their high schools, alone, have seen a 22% drop in enrollment over the past six years!
Pennsylvania: Connellsville Area School District laid off 40 teachers. Reporters with WPXI did some math and discovered that the district lost 1-thousand 3-hundred students in the past ten years! Camden City School District laid off 92 employees due to funding cuts caused by DSS. Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard called it “a brutal process”. Pittsburgh based Education Management Corporation announced it will eliminate another 3-hundred jobs across the U.S. in “ongoing efforts to offer students a great learning experience while keeping education affordable”! Back in May, Education Management corporation shutdown all 15 of its Art Institute campuses! Olney Charter High School eliminating 36 jobs including the principal. Employees say it’s retaliation for them forming their own union.
Rhode Island: Empire Beauty Schools blame DSS for the reason they’re shutting down their Providence school.
Tennessee: The McNairy County Board of Education eliminating 20 jobs; 15 current employees and five vacant teacher jobs. Shelby County Schools laid off 5-hundred people! 490 teachers and 30 administrators: “We are a district with declining enrollment and budget issues. Every year we’re having to make tough decisions, and we try to keep as many of those decisions away from the classroom as possible.”-Sheila Redick
Texas: 58 Head Start employees being laid off across Refugio, Goliad and Bee counties. The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District finally admitted they overspent $12-million, and have to layoff at least 37 employees. Administrators also revealed they’ve already saved $5-million by pushing some employees to retire early or quit. The SMART Schools summer camp for kids, held on Rice University property, shutdown six weeks early. It’s complicated but basically SMART Schools could not verify the certifications of the counselors, and they claim that promised funding from Be Inspired never came through. In Edinburg, Ignite Public Schools has been shutdown by the Texas Education Agency. TEA administrators said the charter school failed at academics and managing their own budget. School bus contractor Gold Star will shutdown in Manor, eliminating 69 jobs. The Manor Independent School District realized it’s actually cheaper to run their own school bus system.
Vermont: Concord High School will shutdown due to lack of funding caused by DSS.
Virginia: Norfolk State University warned of layoffs due to a drop in enrollment by almost 1-thousand students since last year!
Washington DC: Privately funded Howard University laid off 84 people without warning. Last year administrators laid off 2-hundred employees!
Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-La Crosse announced it will eliminate 45 jobs to try and save $1.5-million. University administrators say they will take more action because they need to close an $8-million hole, caused by DSS! University of Wisconsin Madison warned it must eliminate 434 jobs and drop 320 courses over the next two years, no thanks to Right to Work you over Scott Walker, and other ‘lawmakers’, plan to cut $300-million from the state university system (never mind that Walker and other ‘lawmakers’ are going to spend $250-million tax dollars to help build a $500-million sports stadium)! Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) laid off less than 20 people from its central office. MPS has a terrible graduation rate for high school students; in 2014 only 60.9% of students succeeded in graduating after four years of high school! Of the students who took five years only 68.8% graduated, and those who took six years only 73.4% graduated! Racine Unified School District halting public use of their classroom decorations and resources facility, in order to save taxpayer money.
Wyoming: News reports say about three dozen WyoTech-Laramie employees got laid off by the new owner, Zenith Education Group. Wyo-Tech is one of many schools formerly owned by failed California based Corinthian Colleges. Zenith Education Group blamed the layoffs on DSS, saying the campus is down to just 5-hundred students.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification