My wife teaches in public schools as well
in a school that sounds very similar to your wife's.
She teaches bilingual Kindergarten.
It is a very large SD, and the school is over crowded, 90% illegal immigrants.
She is not sure that there is a way to fix the system as it is.
the local Charter school in the area, which offers tutorials and after-school programs, is drawing off many kids, and is doing well academically.
The Charter school is financed as if it were a public school, but has to meet its own financial goals.
The principal at my wife's school is now trying to innovate some ways to stabilize her school's population.
I think some form of competition will inevitably be brought to bear on this. Not even monomploies, at the end of the day, are immune to social pressures.
Ed