A Market Driven Strategy In Public Education?

The headlines are surprising. It almost looks like what a business entity does when it realizes it is losing business. Usually when this happens, the business entity tries to meet the needs of the consumer, and lure them into "buying" the product.

Hernando County schools hope to lure back homeschoolers - St. Petersburg Times

Could this be interpreted as wanting to meet the needs of the consumer?: -"Somewhere along the line, many of you grew disenchanted with the county's schools," he wrote, saying he would "appreciate the opportunity to hear from you and gain an understanding of your reasons for leaving or choosing not to attend our school district."

Could this mean that the desire to bring students back to the system is a financial driven need, and the District actually spent time and money to figure out how much it is losing because the public is not "consuming" the "product"?:
- "Nearly 760 county children were educated at home last year. At $3,961 or more per student in state funding, their return to the public schools could bring about $3-million to a budget that was facing a $4.5-million shortfall last spring, said finance director Deborah Bruggink."

Since when does financial concerns of a public school system drive the focus on what the education program is?

- -""Absolutely, I'm telling you," she said. "From a curricular perspective, if you're offering different things, you might entice some parents back" to the public schools."

I realize this is not the traditional bait and switch tactics of savvy businesses, but it does reflect the strategy of placing "on-sale items" next to higher profit items to increase exposure:
- - "They might come to participate in only wresting or school band, but if they have a good experience, they could try something else."

Let's hope for the well being of our children that it just isn't another financial scam dreamed up to get money but still not meet the needs of the "consumer".