Response to Peter Morgan’s blog post: It Sounds Right, Is It?

Peter is half right.  There is not a linear relationship between costs and the number of students.  It is most likely a step function.  Id est: changes in costs in such organizations, according to Microeconomic actual data, tend to come in steps.  I learned that in the '60s.  For instance a change in student population change costs at the point that it requires a change in the number of bus routes.  The other side of down sizing that he has neglected is the opportunity costs.  I have not heard the school board ask, “Do we really need this?” or “How do we measure success and is this program successful?”  I would like to see the School Board challenge the status quo rather than going alone with the flow.  For instance when getting rid of teachers, how can the district keep the best ones?  Test scores have been essentially flat for decades.  Why?  How can we use downsizing to improve education and efficiency?  I do not see much of this at all and have seldom seen it at all in school boards anywhere.  Answer Peter’s blog here if you want.