WHY SCHOOL CHOICE FOSTERS EFFICIENCY. Rockford public school administrators don't get it.

All the talk of cutting honors classes for some several hundred students has some uncertain if they want their child to stay in District 205 schools.

The idea is meant to be more efficient and reduce costs. However, District 205's latest proposal to cut honors classes is prompting parents to explore options at private and parochial schools.

For the 2^k-th time, for k large, efficiency is the identification and realization of gains from trade. Voluntarily downsizing your school district by driving the motivated students out reduces costs, aye, but with what effect on the children left behind?

"We've seen an increase in the phone calls that are coming in from people asking about our honors program," Don Kortze with Rockford Lutheran School said.

Top educators at Rockford Lutheran School and Keith Country Day School said dozens of parents have reached out to them. Both schools offer a large amount [c.q.] of honors classes and both recently held public events for interested parents.

"Their top concerns are making sure their students are able to get the kind of courses they feel are important for a successful college experience," Kortze said.

"We basically teach all of our classes at an honors level and have numerous AP courses and we have absolutely no plans to change any of that," [Keith's Alan] Gibby said.

The quest of parents to provide opportunities for their children to learn less impeded by unmotivated and uncultured classmates manifests itself in willingness to pay private school tuitions, or to live in school districts with better test scores. What District 205's cost cutting will produce is left to the reader as an exercise.