BEACON Webinar Series

Over the past 12 weeks, BEACON has partnered with the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore and the Onley Theatre Center to present 15, hour-long webinars on economic updates, post-pandemic preparedness, and strategic thinking for the private and nonprofit sectors throughout the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

The Impact of K-12 Public Schools 

It’s no secret that education is a critical component of our society. It provides individuals with the opportunities to learn, develop and contribute as the grow from young children to adulthood. The impact of education goes far beyond the individuals receiving its valuable lessons; it impacts the entire community and the economy. Education is a significant economic driver and a quality educational system can provide substantial value to the local and regional economy that lasts a lifetime.

The economic value of the educational system is three-fold. First, just as any other organization operating within the economy, a school system provides economic, employment and fiscal impacts to the county and state. School systems participate in economic transactions with vendors for goods and services and pay employees who generate additional economic activity. Second, a quality education further increases students’ ability to impact the local economy when they transition into the workforce. A strong educational background provides students the ability to join the workforce upon graduation or continue on to pursue additional education. Those who go on to successfully complete certifications or further degrees have an increased lifetime earning potential, which results in a higher level of economic activity. Third, school systems impact the quality of life in the local community, which, in some instances, have associated economic tie-ins. For instance, quality school systems make communities more desirable, increasing property values as families seek to locate closer to such schools. Additionally, research has shown that students who graduate high school are typically associated with fewer public health care-, crime- and welfare-related costs over the course of their lifetime. Taken together, this data can be used to provide an estimate of the return on investment of the public schools within a jurisdiction.

Over the past 10 years, BEACON has conducted studies examining the economic and community value of the public school systems within Maryland on a statewide basis and for more than 15 counties. Currently, BEACON is embarking upon another such study for Harford County Public Schools. In addition to the three components already mentioned, this study will also estimate future impacts of the North Star program currently being implemented.

My name is Braeden Dahl and I am the social media marketing intern with BEACON at Salisbury University. I am currently an upcoming senior graduating in May 2021 with a degree in marketing and a focus on digital and social media marketing. I grew up in Atlanta, GA, moved to Baltimore County in the sixth grade, and now live in Salisbury year round. I expected choosing which college was right for me to be incredibly difficult, but after visiting Salisbury the second time, I knew it was the place for me. Choosing just one thing to study was incredibly hard for me, and it took me seven major changes and almost two years before I finally realized marketing was right for me.