Economic study addresses high crime, dropout rates
By Ben Antonius Daily Republic November 20, 2008 17:15
FAIRFIELD - A new economic study commissioned by Solano County shows troubling high crime and high school dropout rates in recent years, but it also shows a handful of fast-growing employment 'clusters' that could be the area's economic backbone in the future. The 'Index of Economic and Community Progress' was presented to business and government leaders Thursday morning during Solano Economic Summit 4 at Hilton Garden Inn.
'Hopefully this information can also be used by people and organizations when they're trying to make choices and decisions,' said Doug Henton of Collaborative Economics, the firm that compiled the data for the study. The concerns about crime and dropout rates are not new. School officials have long fretted over ways to keep students in high school for all four years. But the report quantifies just how serious the situation is.For example, Solano County had a 31 percent dropout rate in 2006-2007, higher than the statewide rate of 24 percent. Broken down by ethnic groups, the rates are even higher: 48 percent of black students, 41 percent of Pacific Islanders and 37 percent of Hispanics dropped out.
'The economic indicators foretell of the hard work that is left to be done,' Solano County Board of Supervisors Chairman John Silva stated in his introduction. 'Our community could do more to prepare our children to be successful in the world of work.'Conversely, the most encouraging finding was one showing the rapid expansion of Solano County's cluster of 'life sciences' industries, a term that encompasses pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology. In that category, the county has far outstripped the industry's growth rate statewide.'It really has a potential for the region,'
Henton said. 'Our overall assessment is even with the economic situation, life sciences seems to be pretty well positioned.'
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
About Me
- Sandy Person, President
- Founded in 1983 and known as SEDCORP, the Solano Economic Development Corporation is a collaboration of private and public investors that provides leadership for economic development marketing of Solano County and its seven growing cities: Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville and Vallejo.