The Hiring Problem

Anew wing has been added to the magnet school for Mathematics, Science, and Technology so that the student population can be increased from 489 to 631. The school includes 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. The new sophomore class will have 142 more students than the graduating senior class. To accommodate the increase, the size of the faculty is being increased by seven. There is a great deal of discussion on campus about which departments should get the extra teachers. At the time of the increase there are:

6 Mathematics faculty
5 English faculty
3 Chemistry faculty
3 Foreign Language faculty
3 Physics faculty
1 Music instructor
4 Biology faculty
1 Art instructor
5 Social Studies faculty

Should every discipline (English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Foreign Language) each receive one new teacher, or does the demand for courses argue that some departments should receive two new teachers while others receive none?

Information from the Registrar's office suggests that 5% of the students drop out prior to graduation and that, occasionally, students double up and take two courses at a time in a single discipline.

How would you hire the new faculty to meet the needs of the school as fairly as possible? Explain why your decision is fair.