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Economies of Scale in Iowa High School Operations

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  • Elchanan Cohn

Abstract

This study attempts to shed some light on the cost and output functions of the Iowa public school system (as of 1962-63). As a proxy for high school quality, incremental test scores on the Iowa Tests of Educational Development (ITED) are used. The estimated per pupil cost functions suggest the existence of significant economies of scale for the Iowa sample of 377 high school districts. When a parabolic cost function is utilized, an optimal high school size (in terms of the number of pupils in average daily attendance) can be estimated. Confidence limits for such an optimum are also calculated.

Suggested Citation

  • Elchanan Cohn, 1968. "Economies of Scale in Iowa High School Operations," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 3(4), pages 422-434.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:jhriss:v:3:y:1968:i:4:p:422-434
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    1. repec:lan:wpaper:4471 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. repec:lan:wpaper:4344 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Muharrem Yeşilırmak, 2018. "Decreasing average cost in private schools, existence of majority voting equilibrium, and a policy analysis for Turkey," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 22(1), pages 1-24, June.
    4. Frederick D. Sebold & William Dato, 1981. "School Funding and Student Achievement: an Empirical Analysis," Public Finance Review, , vol. 9(1), pages 91-105, January.
    5. Fox, William F., 1980. "Relationships Between Size of Schools and School Districts and the Cost of Education," Technical Bulletins 157726, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. Hind, Ian W., 1977. "Estimates Of Cost Functions For Primary Schools In Rural Areas," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 21(1), pages 1-13, April.
    7. repec:lan:wpaper:4773 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Stiefel, Leanna & Schwartz, Amy Ellen & Iatarola, Patrice & Chellman, Colin C., 2009. "Mission matters: The cost of small high schools revisited," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 585-599, October.
    9. K. Chakraborty & B. Biswas & WC. Lewis, 2000. "Economies of scale in public education: an econometric analysis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(2), pages 238-247, April.
    10. Heinesen, Eskil, 2004. "Determinants of local public school expenditure: a dynamic panel data model," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 429-453, July.
    11. Bradley, Steve & Johnes, Geraint & Millington, Jim, 2001. "The effect of competition on the efficiency of secondary schools in England," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(3), pages 545-568, December.
    12. Cohn, Elchanan, 2001. "Preface to special issue: in honor of John Riew," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 307-307, August.
    13. repec:lan:wpaper:4346 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Edelman, Dr. Mark A. & Knudsen, James J., 1988. "A Review of Research: Economies of Size and Impacts of Declining Enrollment on School Costs," ISU General Staff Papers 198806010700001184, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    15. Han, Kwideok & Whitacre, Brian E., 2018. "Student Performance and School Size: A Two-stage Spatial Quantile Regression Approach to Evaluate Oklahoma High Schools," 2018 Annual Meeting, February 2-6, 2018, Jacksonville, Florida 266597, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    16. Bellew, Rosemary & DeStefano, Joseph, 1991. "Costs and finance of higher education in Pakistan," Policy Research Working Paper Series 704, The World Bank.
    17. Jacques, Charles & Brorsen, B. Wade & Richter, Francisca G. C., 2000. "Consolidating Rural School Districts: Potential Savings and Effects on Student Achievement," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 32(3), pages 573-583, December.
    18. Duncombe, William & Miner, Jerry & Ruggiero, John, 1995. "Potential cost savings from school district consolidation: A case study of New York," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 265-284, September.
    19. Doeksen, Gerald A. & Peterson, Janet, 1987. "Critical Issues In The Delivery Of Local Government Services In Rural America," Staff Reports 277911, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    20. Tao, Hung-Lin & Yuan, Ming-Ching, 2005. "Optimal scale of a public elementary school with commuting costs--a case study of Taipei county," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 407-416, August.
    21. O'Shaughnessy, Terry, 2007. "Parental choice and school quality when peer and scale effects matter," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 501-515, August.
    22. João Lourenço Marques & Muhammad Tufail & Jan Wolf & Mara Madaleno, 2021. "Population Growth and the Local Provision of Services: The Role of Primary Schools in Portugal," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(2), pages 309-335, April.

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