More Questions Arise on KLSD School Closure Data

Savings Overstated by 45%; District Enrollment Understated; Peak Enrollment Exaggerated

Presentations made to the community by the Katonah-Lewisboro school board’s School Closure Task Force (SCTF) contain inaccurate and misleading data, including a 45% overstatement of projected savings to be realized from school closure, according to an analysis by community group Save Katonah-Lewisboro Schools.

On October 3, KLSD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Kreutzer and the SCTF announced targeting of Lewisboro Elementary School (LES), one of four elementary schools in the District, for closure, citing reasons of efficiency. The District presented its findings in support of closure at public hearings on October 8 and October 21.  Finding the data questionable, community members began investigations shortly thereafter.

Errors in the District’s presentations include:

Cost Savings: District presentations repeatedly include an estimate of cost savings from closing of LES at $2.25M.  However, estimates presented by the District misleadingly include savings that would occur in 2014/15 regardless of whether a school was closed.  Actual District estimated cost saving attributable to closing an elementary school is therefore $1.55M, meaning that the $2.25M savings number is overstated by 45%.  Further, despite repeated requests, the District has not provided the community with a breakdown of these savings.

District Enrollment: In three separate charts, the District erroneously placed the “red line” separating actual enrollment from projected enrollment.  This repeated error creates a false impression of steeply declining enrollment in the district, the elementary schools, and Grade 1 vs. Grade 12.  However, corrected placement of the actual/projected line actually shows increasing enrollment at LES generally and in first grade districtwide, an upward trend that was obscured by moving the line. 

Peak Enrollment:  Dr. Kreutzer presented a chart showing peak enrollment and stated, "By plotting each of the schools, we account for any redistricting and movement of students within the district.”  The accompanying slide does not properly account for redistricting, and a previous slide on peak enrollment double-counted students.  In addition, it is misleading to use outdated peak figures - representing schools at full capacity or more - rather than average enrollment and best practices for class sizes, to illustrate target enrollment or determine an efficient number of students in the school.

The SCTF will present its findings to KLSD Board of Education on December 19, which will render a final decision on closure on January 23, 2014.

Complete analysis of erroneous data and more information is available at http://www.saveKLschools.org.