Archived: The Educational System in the United States: Case Study Findings

Table 1—School profiles
—Continued
Springdale High School 
served 2,800 students from primarily middle to
upper-middle-income homes in two communities. Two-thirds of the students
were white and over a quarter were African-American. Nearly 90 percent of
the graduates continued their education after high school. Per-pupil expendi-
tures averaged $10,300 annually.
Hamilton High School 
is a large comprehensive high school of nearly 3,000
students that serves two diverse communities bordering a metropolitan area.
The school’s campus is extensive, resembling that of a small college. The
student population included nearly even proportions of white and African-
American students (45 percent) and the remainder were primarily Hispanic
and Asian American. One-third of all students were considered low-income,
but many others were from quite affluent families. Roughly 80 percent of
the students continued their education, and the drop-out rate was below 3
percent. Per-pupil expenditures averaged $13,400 annually.
South Central Vocational High School 
is a vocational school located be-
tween two housing projects in a neighborhood of abandoned buildings.
Many of the 700 students, who were nearly all African-American, had been
suspended or expelled from other schools in the city. School security in-
cluded metal detectors, uniformed police on duty throughout the day, and
surveillance cameras in the hallways. Less than one-quarter of the students
graduated. Per-pupil expenditures averaged $6,000 annually.
West City
West Middle School 
is located in a low-income section of West City, a neigh-
borhood of small single-story, plaster homes with chain link fences and often
with iron bars on the windows. The school served a population that was
three-quarter Hispanic, 17 percent Asian, 3 percent African-American, and 1
percent white. Sixty percent of the students have limited English proficiency
and 85 percent were low income.
West High School 
is located in a low-income district of West City. The di-
verse student body included 43 percent Hispanics, 38 percent Asian, 7 per-
cent white, and 5 percent African-American, with several other groups rep-
resented among the remaining 7 percent. The percentage of students classi-
fied as low income was 37 percent, and 46 percent had limited English pro-
ficiency.

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