Transcript
January 27, 1961
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
MEMORANDUM
TO: Superintendent Thomas D. Bailey
FROM: H.O. Myers and Mitchell Wade
Pursuant to your request, we have visited the County School Administration offices in Miami (Dade County, Florida). During the course of our visit on Thursday, January 26, 1961, we visited with and met in consultation with
Dr. Joe Hall, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Dade County
Dr. Frank O. Sloane, Director of Research and Information
James Rice, Director, Pupil Welfare and Attendance
D. R. Snyder, Assistant Superintendent, Physical Plant Division
Mrs. Helen O. Mullen, Supervisor, Vocational Registration and Statistics
E.R. Hilgendorf, Assistant Superintendent, Business Management
Background material on the Cuban Refugee problem in the Dade County School System is contained in attached documents.
Non-immigrant children are processed through three centers and assigned to specific schools from these centers.
Prior to July 1, 1960, approximately 800 such children had been processed and admitted to Dade County public schools.
Between the following dates, the additional numbers of non-immigrant children indicated below were processed and assigned to public schools in the county (about 92% were from Cuba according to best estimates):
July 1, 1960 to December 2, 1960 2,610
December 2, 1960 to January 2, 1961 358
January 2, 1961 to January 10, 1961 604
January 10, 1961 to January 26, 1961 377
The best available estimate as of January 26, 1961, is that a total of approximately 4,749 children had been assigned to public schools. It was reported that a considerable, but undetermined, number of non-immigrant children are in the Miami area but not in school at this time.
The estimated cost per child in Average Daily Attendance for 1960-1961 in Dade County is $380. Average Daily Attendance figures are not available so estimates are based on Average Daily Membership at an estimated cost of $365 per child (95% of $380).
Growth for the remainder of 1960-61 is estimated at 300 new pupils per month of non-immigrant status.
Growth for 1961-62 is estimated at 3,600 pupils with an average daily membership of 1800 for the year 1961-62. This Is an average increment of 300 pupils per month.
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Memorandum to Supt. Bailey
January 27, 1961
1960-61
Estimated cost at $365 per ADM for Current Operating Expenses* for 1960-61:
Expended first half 1960-61:
Estimated average of 2,745 in ADM for 1st half of 1960-61 @ ½ of $365 501,000.00 (800 at beginning plus ½ of additional membership as of end of 1st half year)
Estimate for 2nd half 1960-61:
Estimate average of 4,749 pupils at beginning of 2nd half plus average of 600 (1200 total) total of average of 5,349 for second half at ½ of $365 976,000.00
Total pupils up to 1/26/61 * 4,749 @ est. cost of $900 per pupil for housing $4,274,100.00
Est. need for additional pupils anticipated by end of 1960-61 school year $1,080,000.00
1961-62
Est. 6,000 @ $365 per ADM $2,190,000.00
Est. additional average of 1,80 @ $365 per ADM 657,000.00
Increase during 1961-62 average ADM of 1,800 (3600 new pupils) Capital Outlay @ $900 per pupil $3,240,000.00
Recapitulation
1960-61 Operation first half $501,000
Operation second half $976,000
Year $1,477,000
1961-62 Operation $2,847,000
1960-61 Capital Outlay $5,354,100
1961-62 Capital Outlay $3,240,000
GRAND TOTAL $12,918,100
*Includes teachers salaries, instructional supplies, textbooks, transportation, operation and maintenance of plants, fixed charges, and administration.)
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January 27, 1961
Memorandum to Supt. Bailey
Temporary Buildings
If capital Outlay needs are based on the use of portables, the figure of $900 per pupil can be reduced to approximately $350 per pupil. In this case the estimated needs would be:
1960-61 5,949 pupils @ $350 $2,082,150
1961-62 3.600 pupils @ $350 $1,260,000
($200 Basic Building, $100 supplementary facilities such as toilets, offices, cafeteria, etc., $50 equipment and moving and connecting utilities)
Education for Non-Immigrant Adults
At the present time there are more nonimmigrant adults participating in adult education classes then other classifications of adult registrations.
Up to January 26, 1961, the total adult enrollment had reached 3,918. Most of these attend two nights per week, in courses for non-English speaking students.
For the first half of 1960-61, a total of 6,778 hours of instruction had been given to such students by part-time instructors at an estimated cost of $31,314. In addition, two full-time instructors were provided at an estimated salary expenditure of $6,350 for the first half of 1960-61.
One additional full-time instructor is being added for the remainder of 1960-61 at the estimated salary of 3,200. This will enable class size to be reduced and may permit some additional registrations.
For 1961-62 it is anticipated that one additional full-time instructor will be needed (making a total of 4 full-time instructors) and part-time instruction will need to be increased by about twenty-five percent over 1960-61.
1960-61
July 1 to January 26 Estimated expenditure $37,664.00
Estimate for remainder of 1960-61 $40,864.00
Estimated cost of instructional materials $12,000.00
Total 1960-61 $90,528.00
1961-62
Estimated cost of part-time instruction $78,285.00
Estimated cost of full-time instruction $25,400.00
Estimated cost of instructional materials $15,000.00
Total 1961-62 $118,685.00
Grand Total Both Years $209,213.00
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Memorandum to Sup. Bailey
January 27,1961
School Lunches
Some non-immigrant students are receiving free lunches and the number is expected to increase as individual non-immigrants exhaust their personal resources.
Funds for school lunches are handled through internal accounts in the separate school centers. At the present time, the county administration is making no direct contribution to school lunches.
The estimates costs of lunches per day are:
Elementary $0.25 (45.00 per pupil per year)
Junior High $0.25 (63.00 per pupil per year)
Senior High $0.50 (90.00 per pupil per year)
About 56 percent are in Elementary grades; 28 percent are in junior high; and 16 percent are in senior high.
Because of the generally high cultural level of the non-immigrant children, direct relief is a sensitive area. One possibility would be to handle free lunches through established welfare channels. Another source of assistance would be to increase certain types of surplus food commodities (such as cheese and meats} distributed to school lunch rooms.
Individual Fees Paid by Students
Supply fees for elementary pupils are $3.00 per year and average about $6.00 per year at the high school level. These fees cover individual pupil supplies in the elementary grades and locker fees, laboratory fees, etc., in the high school grades. These fees are waived when pupils are unable to pay them. Up to this point, this factor has not worked any severe hardship because the amount of money involved has been relatively small. Many of the non-immigrant children have been able to pay these fees thus far.
Parochial Schools
Firm estimates relating to cost in parochial schools are not available. An estimate of 2,650 mom-immigrant pupils enrolled in parochial schools has been given. The actual basis for this estimate is not known to us. It may be high.
It is doubtful if aid to Parochial Schools could be handled effectively through public school channels.
Memorandum to Supt. Bailey
January 3, 1961
Summary and Recommendations
The Dade County Board of Public Instruction is doing an outstanding job in providing educational opportunities for non-immigrant pupils and adults. The school Board has created an efficient organization for handling this problem. However, the financial resources of the School Board are being strained and substantial financial assistance is urgently needed if the present level of educational opportunity is to be maintained. Already, some curtailment of the adult education program has been necessary. Certain classes for adults have been discontinued and registration of additional non-immigrant adults have been suspended.
It is recommended that the Federal Government provide financial assistance to school systems that are confronted with unanticipated increases in pupil population resulting from factors similar to those in Dade County and other Florida counties. The influx of non-immigrant pupils is expected to spread into certain other Florida counties in the near future.
The hardships faced by local school systems as a result of such increases and somewhat similar to the hardships resulting from expanded Federal defense activities but without a corresponding increase in the local economy. The Federal Government has provided financial assistance directly to local school systems in expanded Federal defense areas. This method of assistance has proved to be very satisfactory in Florida.
The total additional public school costs resulting from the impact of non-immigrant population is estimated in the following amounts (exclusive of school lunch and individual fees):
1960-61
Operation $1,567,528.00
Capital Outlay $5,354,100.00
1961-62
Operation $2,965,685.00
Capital Outlay $3,240,000.00
Total $13,127,313.00
Respectfully submitted,
H.O. Myers, Assistance Director
Financial Accounting
I, Mitchell Wade, Specialist in
Research and Statistics
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