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.
Incomplete list of publicly announced education layoffs & school shutdowns from July to September 2015:
Alaska: The University of Alaska Anchorage eliminating 203 jobs! Administrators blame $13-million USD in taxpayer funding cuts caused by the crashing oil industry.
Arizona: The University of Arizona eliminating 320 jobs saying the new state budget is forcing them to cut $25-million USD in operating costs! (this is actually less than the $43-million they were warning about earlier this year)
California: In Petaluma, after eight years the Come Home to Cooking School forced to shutdown by A-hole city administrators who refuse to renew the license to operate! In Monterey, McGraw Hill Education laid off 137 people! In San Diego, Bridgepoint Education laid off 41 people. Despite obvious signs of a death spiral economy, the administrators of the Elk Grove Teen Center claim they’re shutting down because of a great economy! News reports say 4-hundred poor teenagers take advantage of the program, but the administrators are now claiming they can’t justifiably stay open because those poor teenagers are no longer considered poor!? However, administrators also admitted that many of the poor teenagers that come to them for help are not part of the Elk Grove School District and therefore cannot be officially counted in their program! In Modesto, God refused to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 32 years old Grace Lutheran School. ‘Christian’ administrators admitted they were in so much debt that the current student enrollment couldn’t cover the church mortgage payments! In Santa Ana, Zenith Education Group laying off 18 people by the beginning of November.
Colorado: Troubled ECMC Group shutting down their Zenith Education Group student loan call center in Thornton, 137 jobs lost right before Xmas! Local news reports say that at one time the call center had more than 3-hundred employees.
Connecticut: “Under a cloak of secrecy, the university’s board of trustees approved a spend-heavy budget. This was an irresponsible move, and it adds justification to calls to bring transparency to the budget process.”-rep-am.com, concerning the 50 layoffs at University of Connecticut
Delaware: Only one month after opening Delaware Met charter school says it might have to layoff employees, or even shutdown, due to what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome. The taxpayer funded school apparently lost 33 students since opening, and administrators are afraid they’ll lose more which will put them under the state required minimum enrolment limits. The news has resulted in a downward spiral effect as even more parents are taking their students out for fear of a sudden shutdown!
Florida: Leon County’s Adult and Community Education service killed off by state ‘lawmakers’ who canceled funding, at least 15 jobs lost.
Georgia: Valdosta State University eliminating 33 jobs, blaming Disappearing Students Syndrome, a 17% drop since 2011.
Idaho: Once again, taxpayers are being raped in The Gem State! It’s been revealed that the teacher’s union known as Boise Education Association is being funded with taxpayers dollars: “Every dollar that taxpayers are asked to put into public schools ought to go to public schools, not into feeding the union machine!”-Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation
In order to generate more funding for public schools the state Department of Lands auctioned-off 35 Priest Lake vacation lots for $15.6-million USD. They were trying for 38 lots. They’re going to try and action off another nine. Last year’s sale of lots statewide was supposed to generate more than $52-million for the permanent endowment, however, it’s been revealed that some of the cabins/lots are up for auction again because the previous bidders couldn’t make their payments. It was also revealed the main reason the auctions aren’t going so well is because many of the properties are actually ocupado: “I know that people are hesitant to bid against a person that built it and currently occupies the structure and still wants it.”-Sid Anderson, Dept. of Lands
Illinois: Springfield’s Hope Institute for Children and Families ending its autism education program due to the state ‘lawmakers’ suspending the taxpayer funding. After eliminating more than 1-thousand 5-hundred jobs (after being forced to make a $634-million ObamaCare retirement fund payment), the Obama regime controlled Chicago Public Schools (CPS) warned of 5-thousand more job cuts! The layoffs would take place right before Thanksgiving! Obama regime CPS administrators claim that $480-million USD in state funding has never shown up (yeah right)! By the way, school employees threaten massive civil “chaos” if the Obama regime goes through with the massive CPS layoffs! Lincoln-Way District 210 decided to shutdown their Lincoln Way Community High School North. They say that even with the 5% property tax hike each year for the next two years they still won’t have enough money! In Forest Park, after 12 years the Flavour Cooking School shutting down by the end of the month. The owner admits “…the business has been struggling for some time now.” It’s been revealed that Eastern Illinois University eliminated 118 civil service jobs! 50 of those former employees were forced to quit or retire early. In Chicago, God refuses to stop ‘his’ Catholic Church from using the excuse of lead contamination to suddenly shutdown the Saint Elizabeth School. Southern Illinois University (SIU) reporting what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS). Administrators say enrollment is down 3.9% and they’ll have to layoff employees. Because of the DSS of 697 students SIU is short $5.2-million USD. For-profit DeVry Education Group shutdown their Chicago office, 90 jobs lost. The failing higher education outfit also returned $100-thousand of local taxpayer financing to the city. Leonard Bo Peep Preschool Academy shutdown due to taxpayer funding cuts. In Cook County, Community Development Institute Head Start will eliminate 215 jobs due to slashed federal taxpayer funding! At least three camps leased by the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois being shutdown due to crashing membership and increasing maintenance costs. The camps in Salem, Makanda and Worden will shutdown by the middle of 2017: “We just have too many camps for the size of our council.”-Villie Apoo, Girl Scouts ceo
Indiana: In Fort Wayne, after 20 years Conser Music instrument store shutting down in October. The owner said that demand for music lessons peaked between 2002-07, then crashed once the Great Recession started, with no recovery in sight.
Iowa: Iowa Student Loan lost their government contract, 60 jobs gone. Administrators would only say that their “…administration of the program did not live up to goals described when the legislation was approved by Congress…” The Ashford University shutting down its Clinton campus in May 2016, due to Disappearing Students Syndrome: “Ashford’s Clinton campus has been unable to resolve its significant and ongoing enrollment shortfall, a trend that is especially troubling in today’s highly competitive environment.”-Gregory Geoffroy, board of trustees.
Kansas: Olathe School District warned layoffs were coming due to $2-million USD shortfall. Administrators did not blame enrollment, but blamed increased costs (like ObamaCare insurance rates for employees) and reduced funding from the state and federal governments.
Kentucky: In Owensboro, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Precious Blood Catholic Church daycare center. Church administrators say the daycare center is $60-thousand USD in debt.
Maine: In Rumford, after 40 years Maureen’s Preschool shutdown, the local news media didn’t explain why but the owner exclaimed “I still think there isn’t a richer woman in the world than me. Go Donald Trump! You’re nothing compared to me!”
Maryland: After 37 years pre-school The Eyman Children Center shutdown, the owner said “It’s time to get serious about retirement and enjoying what years are left.”
Massachusetts: Gordon College added seven professors to the previously announced 14 layoffs. Tufts University laid off four people, reports say more layoffs are in the planning. In Boston Weak, sexist Simmons College shutting down their women’s only MBA program, blaming increased competition. You know the saying; “If you can’t stand the heat……” God refuses to stop ‘his’ 60 years old Saint Paul School in Wellesley from shutting down: “Over the past several years, St. Paul School has faced a steady decline in enrollment. An attempt to secure solid commitments from parents for the upcoming school year was not sufficient.”
Michigan: In Detroit, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Quaker run Friends School. Administrators say they’re “working hard” to find investors who’re willing to pump money into the 50 years old school so they can re-open for the 2016-17 school year. Flint School District eliminated an additional 26 jobs, blaming a 10% drop in enrollment. Grand Rapids Board of Education voted unanimously to layoff seven teachers. For every student the district loses it also loses $7,391 USD in funding. The East China School District announced that Eddy Elementary school will shutdown for the 2016-17 school year. Apparently the school needs to be refurbished but the district doesn’t have the money. God refuses to stop ‘his’ Battle Creek Evangelical Friends Church from shutting down their Little Friends Child Care Center. However, it’s not due to a loss of members but an explosion of church members requiring the use of the space taken up by the child care center. Lincoln Consolidated Schools will eliminate 50 jobs and cut salaries over the next three years. After eliminating more than 231 jobs Farmington Public Schools is now considering shutting down at least six schools, blaming Disappearing Students Syndrome. Enrollment has crashed by 2-thousand since 2007, and administrators expect it to continue! Davenport University shutting down several campuses due to crashing enrollment. Some campuses will be merged while others will become two year colleges. Disappearing Students Syndrome has resulted in Davenport losing 3,341 students since 2010! Coldwater Board of Education eliminated 17 jobs, blaming the loss of 625 students since the 2000-01 school year!
Minnesota: The Boys & Girls Club eliminating its staff at its La Crescent Community Arena location. It’s blamed on a lack of boys and girls.
Mississippi: The Diamondhead Public Library shutting down after Xmas due to lack of taxpayer funding. The Pisgah Headstart Center shutdown. Parents are being told to send their kids to other Headstart education centers even though other Headstart ops are shutting down as well. Many single parents relied on Headstart to watch their kids while they went to work, now they say they’ll have to quit their jobs because their jobs don’t pay them enough to afford child daycare. In Tishomingo, the only Headstart education program shutting down apparently due to lack of funding (local news say Headstart administrators refuse to comment). This pisses off many parents as they say “We worked hard to keep this place open. We volunteered hours and hours of our time, and our effort, and our money to keep this Headstart going!”-Santanna White
Missouri: A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank‘s Saint Louis regional office has concluded that getting a college degree does not do anything to improve your financial position, at least not if you’re ‘black’ or ‘hispanic’!
Nebraska: God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 47 years old Christ Child Society Center, blamed on The Rapture, I mean declining enrollment.
New Hampshire: God refuses to keep ‘his’ 50 years old Pelham Saint Patrick Catholic School from shutdown. It’s called The Rapture, I mean enrolment has crashed to just 32 students! Mount Washington College (formerly known as Hesser College) shutdown suddenly due to Disappearing Students Syndrome. 3-hundred students must now transfer to Kaplan University.
New Jersey: More proof of public administrator incompetence. Over the Summer Paterson School District laid off 3-hundred people, blaming what I call Disappearing Students Syndrome! After you include protest resignations and early retirements at least 535 jobs went away! Now those same exalted school administrators are scrambling to hire on people because it turned out they weren’t losing students, in fact their enrollment went up by 7-hundred students! School bus contractor First Student issued a WARN saying 135 people in Trenton will become unemployed! Taxpayers are finding out the real reason for hundreds of layoffs at the Atlantic City School District; four new ‘director’ positions were created and the jobs went to employees who were supposed to be laid off, and who got huge pay raises as a result! District administrators justified their game by claiming the four new positions will be handling the work of 18 positions that were eliminated. God refuses to stop ‘his’ Holy Family School in Lakewood, and ‘his’ Saint Denis School in Manasquan, from shutdown. It’s blamed on DSS.
New Mexico: In Santa Teresa, the state Public Education Commission shutdown the Health Sciences Academy after only one year of operations. State administrators claim the school was being operated fraudulently. In Las Cruces, atheists and homosexual marriage are being blamed for the shutdown of the First Baptist Church’s daycare center. God’s church administrators said they don’t want the government forcing them to hire “homosexuals and atheists”, but you have to blame the money grubbing false christians for violating the 1st Amendment and taking government taxpayer money to run their daycare: “When the government gives you money, they have the right to tell you how to run certain aspects of your organization. We understand that. It’s not one particular group…it’s the fact they get to dictate to us, across the board, how to run our organization or different organization or ministries.”-David Burrows, church leader just now waking up to the fact that they must “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s…..” (Matthew 22:21)
New York: Evil News Corp conducted massive and surprise layoffs with Brooklyn based Amplify Education, 8-hundred jobs lost this morning! News Corporation has been trying to sell-off Amplify, but nobody wants to buy it. Union Springs Board of Education shutting down two elementary schools before the next school year, blaming DSS. However, could the real reason be that the school board wants to spend $8.2-million USD on a new project? The 126 years old (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) bankrupt busted New York Military Academy shutdown after a planned sale fell through. It’s blamed on DSS, in 2014 enrollment fell to less than 1-hundred. Donald Trump was a student at the privately funded school but actually refused to bail out his alma mater on the grounds it was a losing business proposition! In Poughkeepsie, school bus company Durham School Services issued a shutdown WARN for October, 76 jobs lost due to loss of contract. After 52 years the Le Roy Nursery School shutdown. The Big A-hole, I mean Big Apple New York Shitty, I mean City shutting down seven pre-kindergarten schools days before school starts! City administrators admitted the schools violated health codes, and claim they will place the children of the 175 families affected into other schools! Interestingly three of the shutdown schools are Christian and one is Muslim. God refuses to stop ‘his’ College of Saint Rose from instituting layoffs and program cuts due to a $9.3-million USD shortfall caused by The Rapture, I mean Disappearing Students Syndrome: “Like many institutions across the country, enrollment at the College of Saint Rose has declined….”-Lisa Haley Thomson
North Carolina: Corrupt Warren Wilson College promoted several people and created three new jobs but only after they laid off seven people. The Beaufort County Board of Education laid off 16 teacher assistants due to lack of local tax funding. Pitt County Schools eliminated 25 jobs, without warning. It’s blamed on crashing taxpayer funding (which is a sure sign of a crashing economy). Stokes County School Board voted to shutdown their Francisco Elementary School. It’s blamed Disappearing Students Syndrome, enrollment is down to 50 students. The state Board of Education shutdown the Carrboro PACE Academy due to “persistent patterns of noncompliance, low academic performance, and potential financial issues.”
Ohio: God’s ‘christian’ president of Ashland University eliminated 23 faculty positions despite strong student enrollment numbers and a $3-million USD surplus at the end of the 2014 school year! Owens Community College revealed massive Disappearing Students Syndrome. In 2009 they had 23,606 students, by January 2015 they were down to 11,719! Despite the crashing enrollment, administrators claim they will not layoff anymore employees (they’ve already eliminated 50 positions, and ask employees to take time off without pay). The University of Akron announced a three years plan to eliminate at least 215 jobs! Disappearing Students Syndrome has caused the university to lose $60-million USD. Another factor is the skyrocketing costs of employee healthcare costs caused by ObamaCare. Administrators say they will renegotiate healthcare benefits with employees, meaning it will cost the employees more money for the same benefits.
Oklahoma: The East Side Elementary School in Okmulgee shutting down due to a one third drop in enrollment and a $1-million shortfall: “To save that kind of money, you have to do something drastic and that’s what this is. It’s a necessary evil.”-Tod Williams, school superintendent
Pennsylvania: God refuses to stop administrators at ‘his’ Saint Joseph’s University from eliminating 172 jobs and cutting programs due to The Rapture, I mean Disappearing Students Syndrome. Administrators hope the cuts will put them back into the ‘black’ next school year. The Wilkinsburg School District shutting down its High School and shipping the 2-hundred students to another school district! However, it was revealed the district is also going to spend $10-million renovating two elementary schools. God refuses to stop Disappearing Students Syndrome at ‘his’ La Salle University, 23 employees laid off due to a $12-million USD shortfall caused partly by crashing freshmen enrollments. The Education Plus Cyber Charter School in Abington shutdown without warning, 1-thousand families affected! The state Department of Education did not like the charter school’s “education model”, even though parents reported great success with their ‘special needs’ children. God refuses to stop ‘his’ Catholic Church from shutting down the Saint Patrick Grade School. Local news reports say Catholic leaders tried to secretly stop parents from protesting. Green Tree & School Services shutdown their Philadelphia ops, 113 jobs lost! Community Development Institute Head Start issued shutdown WARNs for Montgomery and Bucks counties, 168 jobs lost! Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School laid off at least 21 virtual classroom teachers and 22 non-teaching employees. After 15 years the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network shutting down. Local news reports said the Network didn’t explain why. Point Park University laid off 32 employees “in response to changing demands in the higher education market”, meaning crashing student enrollment. Connellsville Area School Board jacked up property taxes, then took out a $5-million loan (tax anticipation note) from PNC Bank and killed 11 jobs. News reports say Drexel University laid off “several dozens” of employees due to Disappearing Students Syndrome.
South Carolina: South Carolina State University shutting down nine buildings, including four dorms, in an attempt to save money. Obviously with less buildings to take care of there won’t be the need for all those building maintenance jobs. Administrators admit that struggles with enrollment resulted in not enough money to perform needed repairs and upgrades to the nine buildings.
Tennessee: The Jackson YMCA shutting down next week, 15 jobs lost. Administrators blame a history of losing money. Non-profit Rutherford County Family YMCA in Murfreesboro shutdown, due to crashing revenues.
Texas: In El Paso, Houchen Community Center shutting down their Child Care Development Center in Segundo Barrio by the middle of September, blaming “a lack of income and increasing costs.” Local news reports say tax filings from the past few years show Houchen Community Center is losing money. Kilgore College contracting out their entire maintenance department, employees forced to retire early or be laid off, at least 40 jobs affected. Is it because maintenance employees went to state officials reporting that college administrators deliberately ordered violations of environmental laws?
Utah: State Charter School Board ordering the shutdown of Alianza Academy K-8 charter schools in West Valley City and South Salt Lake City. It’s blamed on DSS (Disappearing Students Syndrome) as enrollment has crashed below the state required minimum of 290. In Saint George, Paul Mitchell the school shutting down in August. A spokesperson said Saint George is “not able to support as large of a school as is needed for Paul Mitchell”.
Washington: The state Charter School Commission forced to shutdown after the state Supreme Court ruled charter schools “unconstitutional”! In Seattle, God refuses to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ 33 years old Zion Preparatory Academy. At one point the school had 6-hundred students, but because of the bad economy people can’t afford to pay for private school: “We just basically ran out of funds.”-Doug Wheeler, owner
Washington DC: In an interview with MSNBC U.S. Department of Education secretary Arne Duncan might have revealed an ulterior motive for shutting down fraudulent Corinthian Colleges; the Obama regime has now become the collector of all debts owed to the college by the ripped off students under the guise of “protecting taxpayers”!
Chris Hayes MSNBC: “The Department of Education has announced a loan forgiveness program, but…it requires onerous steps to jump through, why not just offer the students….a blanket debt forgiveness?”
Arne Duncan Obama regime Department of Education: “…we are thrilled to be able to close down Corinthian….despite stiff opposition from Congress…we’ve been working on this since 2009…we’re working with a number of students…we’ve also brought in a special ‘master’[he failed to explain this special master thing]...this is new work for us [wait, didn’t he just say they’ve been working on this since 2009?]” Despite all the rehtoric Duncan used during the MSNBC interview he failed to actually explain why they’re treating students like crap.
Consumer groups suspect fraud on the part of the Obama regime: “Why would Secretary Duncan be thrilled to shut down Corinthian if there wasn’t systemic fraud? It tells you everything you need to know that his department continues to collect on Corinthian students’ debts when he could, under current law, erase it this very moment with a stroke of the pen.”– Debt Collective, representing 2-hundred former Corinthian students
West Virginia: William J. Raglin Community Education Center shutting down the Shawnee Daycare center due to “…losing approximately $10-thousand a year on that program.”-Bob Calhoun, Kanawha County Schools
Wisconsin: God can’t stop Right to Work (you over) Republicans from shutting down the Daughters of the Father Christian Academy. Democrats are demanding an explanation. However, it seems the private ‘christian’ school was being funded with public secular tax dollars, which should be a violation of the 1st Amendment. The YMCA shutdown their Wausau childcare center “due to unforeseen circumstances”. University of Wisconsin‘s two year Colleges eliminating 83 jobs by consolidating administration jobs. It’s blamed on Right to Work you over gov’na Scott Walker.
2nd Quarter 2015: “a brutal process” “It’s not as though we have a hidden pot of money.”