66th Annual STS (2006-2007)
Finalists
Kaitlin Duncan

NEW YORK
Kaitlin Duncan, 17, of Massapequa, studied the effects of demographic variables on annual school budget referenda for her Intel Science Talent Search project in behavioral and social sciences. After her district's proposed school budget failed to pass, the resulting community uproar inspired Kate to compare support for specific programs to demographic variables. She distributed an Internet survey to residents of her school district to gather information that included age, gender, education and number of children, as well as interest in supporting full-day kindergarten, programs to improve test scores, extracurricular activities and AP programs. As hypothesized, Kate found that budget referendum success was related to specific demographics. Her efforts suggest the importance of addressing the proper sector within a community when determining school budgets; by understanding what is valued highest to the district residents, a budget might be customized to win support. A student at Plainedge High School in North Massapequa, Kate is an avid dancer. The daughter of Kevin and Susan Duncan, she plans to attend Boston College or Columbia.