Some things DEF has learned about our region

1) The Nielson Rating System considers our six (6) counties in the tri-state area to be a single DMA (Designated Marketing Area).

2) The map we use is modified from the masthead of Salisbury 's “The Daily Times” newspaper. It is basically their circulation and advertising area.

3) The businesses we have had a chance to examine draw their clients from throughout the area and are dependent for their staffing on graduates from high schools throughout the region, e.g. Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Health South Rehabilitation Center, and Sylvan Learning Centers.

4) One can attend classes and obtain degrees from eleven (11) institutions of higher learning (post high school) without leaving our region.

5) The aggregate public school operating budgets for the region are at least $422 million.

6) Our region has a total population of 381,551 with 64,932 of school age (5 to 18 years old) according to the 2000 census. The public schools in our 6 counties had 59,249 students enrolled on Sept. 30, 2001. (DE =24,954, MD= 28,917, VA=5,378).

7) Our population is spread over a land area of 3,128 square miles with a population density of 122 per square mile. For comparison, the rates are 1,177 per square mile for Anne Arundel County, MD and 1,174 for New Castle County , DE ).

8) Our public schools are in 13 school districts. We have 65 private schools, 3 homeschool associations and 25 public libraries as part of our educational system.

9) We have 120 public schools. The largest number (42) do not have “standard” grade configurations. We have 37 elementary schools for grades K-5, 20 middle schools for grades 6-8, and 21 high schools for grades 9-12.

10) Our situation is not unique in this country. The rural trading area around Sioux Falls, SD, for example, includes parts of four states and has many more public school districts than ours.

6/22/03

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