Posted on 09/27/2006 5:16:49 AM PDT by Brilliant
In Florida, school principals, real-estate developers and economic-development officials are scrambling to solve a troubling mystery: Where did the kids go?
Across a state long plagued by shortages of teachers and classrooms, school-enrollment figures show declines or no growth this fall. The Palm Beach County public-school system in south Florida saw its first enrollment drop since 1971 -- a 1.9% decline to 170,582 students. Broward County, surrounding Fort Lauderdale, lost 3.1% of its students. Growth in Orlando and Tampa has slowed to roughly half... Overall, the number of students in Florida public schools now is expected to grow by just 30,000 students to 2.67 million, well below recent annual increases of about 65,000.
The reason: School officials say that even though it has cooled in recent weeks, Florida's overheated housing market -- with the median existing-home price up 90% since 2001 to $248,400 in August -- is pricing young families out of the state.
Ranking fourth in population among states, Florida remains one of the fastest-growing places in the country, adding an average of 1,000 new residents a day to its total of 18.3 million. But the state's tried-and-true formula of plentiful jobs, abundant sunshine and low taxes suddenly isn't enough to hold onto thousands of families as real-estate speculators and empty nesters are snapping up property, shrinking the supply of affordable homes for newcomers who traditionally pumped up school enrollment. And, despite being spared so far this year, there are signs of growing weariness following eight hurricanes that plowed into the Sunshine State in 2004 and 2005, causing insurance rates to skyrocket and some residents to move away before the next big storm hits.
Last November, Kevin and Christy Kilpatrick left Plantation, near Fort Lauderdale, for rural Lawrenceburg, Tenn., to escape south Florida's escalating living costs, congestion and hurricanes...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
This article is in my opinion a load of BS. I haven't noticed any hint that population growth is leveling off here in Orlando, or that families are moving out. And they've built vast numbers of homes since school ended last spring.
My suspicion is that families are pulling their kids out of public schools, and putting them in private schools. I notice that there is no mention of private school enrollment in the article. The education establishment feels that it's got to come up with an explanation of the "missing kids" that does not admit their failings, though.
The public schools here in Fla. are among the worst in the nation. But we've been celebrating of late because all of Jeb's hard work on education has raised our standing nationwide from 49 to 48.
What they really need is a complete facelift for the schools.
I admit that I don't live in Florida but I have a cousin who does. She told me that many of her friends with kids are moving out but it is because of high property taxes. One is moving to our town (Raleigh, NC).
Ping.
Don't forget us FL home schoolers!
High property taxes adn sky rocketing insurance with wages not anywhere near keeping up for many will make families move to another state quickly.
I live in FL and my property taxes AND insurance (home & car) might just entice me to move across the line to Alabama and drive in to Ft. Walton to work everyday........Some people here do.........
I'm surprised with the illegal alien population in Florida that this would be happening.
My first thought too. I have no experience with Florida, but nation-wide private (especially Christian) schools are increasing.
Sounds like something written by anyother clueless MSM so-called "reporter".
Families are fleeing Upstate NY. In our case, it's 'Rat and RINO run government.
And they have to ask where the kids went? Educrats are SOOOOOO clueless.
About 10 people I know here is S. Florida moved out of state already....and there are 8 homes for sale in my community of 118 homes....been on the market since April. They want to move up to the Carolina's or Tennessee. I wouldn't mind going myself.....but just got a new job. And of course, I can't afford to move to a new place 'IN' florida since the taxes and insurance would triple. And the traffic here will again be overwhelming when the snowbirds get here. I crave space, hills and my own backyard.
They are already here in my neck of the woods.
Move to Upstate NY. Plenty of room. Much as I love it, it's turning into a ghost town up here :(
My new neighbors are from Palm Beach county. They are newlyweds with child and coudn't afford Florida. I'm in TN.
Here too - noticed a few 'northern' license plates this week...guess those early snows in Montana and Wyoming accelerated the migration.
I too know that some of the families are now grouping and doing home schooling to keep their children from the public school atmosphere.
This exact same phenomenon occurred twenty years ago in California. As neighborhoods mature, the kids grow up and the parents stay in their neighborhoods, so naturally the school population declines. Let's face it, "blue-haired Q-Tips" don't have school children! Add the hurricane damages from the past two years, higher insurance rates, and home schooling, it is easy to see that
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