<p>Newcomb, NY, has a population of 477 and no cell phone service. Its K-12 school system was down to an enrollment of 55 students total. (Class size probably isn’t an issue.) Oddly, it’s earning a place on the international map:
</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/nyregion/tiny-newcomb-ny-recruits-students-worldwide.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/13/nyregion/tiny-newcomb-ny-recruits-students-worldwide.html</a></p>
<p>7 international students per year isn’t something to write home about. There are plenty of high schools who get way more foreign exchange students than this. I don’t see the significance of this article.</p>
<p>I guess the point is that the local economy of this dying town is being saved by international students.</p>
<p>^^ Seven international students per year in a school with less than 100 students total in 14 grade levels in a tiny town that didn’t have an exchange program five years ago seems pretty significant to me … .
Sounds like a good thing they’re doing there. 
I hope it continues to go well.</p>
<p>The school population is going to double. That is newsworthy. The school has students coming from outside the district. Great idea.</p>
<p>Ingenious and impressive. But I wonder if the school is shooting itself in the foot by building a dormitory and raising tuition for exchange students to $20,000 from $4,000. They’d have to compete for international attention in an entirely different league.</p>
<p>I agree with b@r!um–is more than quadrupling tuition a great idea? </p>
<p>On another note, this kind of makes me wonder: would this model be successful in other small towns on the brink of collapse? Could this be the next big thing or something that becomes an unsuccessful fad?</p>
<p>I love this story.
The tuition increase/dorm idea doesn’t sound great, though.</p>
<p>Well, it doesn’t come as a surprise had Chicago did it, but this tiny NY town? Simply impressive. But hey, whoever funds the scheme must be rich.</p>
<p>"7 international students per year isn’t something to write home about. There are plenty of high schools who get way more foreign exchange students than this. I don’t see the significance of this article. "</p>
<p>You know schools that go from 0% international to 35% international in 4 years?</p>
<p>Any cashed-up new towns or private school can achieve that!</p>
<p>The article lies, pulling up a lot block and platt coverage map from Sprint, At&T, and Verizon show service. What is more there is a local company called Prime that owns 11 towers in the area. Portions of two local waterways known as “seargents pond, and indian lake” do not have coverage; but the actual town itself does.</p>