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County education level continues to rise Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Lashelle Jackson of Medford is one of the first in Jackson County to pass the revised general education development test. At 16, she's already got a job and a car and plans to go on to Rogue Community College. She's part of the 85 percent of county residents who've earned a high school diploma (or equivalency) or better, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Eighty-five percent have at least a high school education, 22.3 percent a bachelor's degree or more By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Jackson County residents are better educated than they were 10 years ago, with 85 percent having at least a high school diploma. According to figures released May 14 from the 2000 U.S. Census, Jackson County showed a nearly 5 percent increase since 1990 in residents over age 25 who have a diploma. Even so, many local communities have a higher percentage of residents without diplomas compared to the state average of 14.9 percent. The census data also shows that communities with a higher median income are generally better educated. In Ashland, which has the second highest median family income in the county ($49,647), 94.6 percent of residents have a high school diploma or better, while 50.6 percent have a bachelor's degree or better. This is the highest percentage in the county. White City, with the second lowest median income in the county ($30,743), posted the highest number with no high school diploma at 33.4 percent, an increase from 1990's figure of 27.5 percent. Only 4.4 percent of White City residents have a bachelor's degree or better. Other communities showed dramatic improvements in education levels from the last census count. In 1990 in Butte Falls, 33.6 percent of its residents did not have a high school diploma, compared to 16.4 percent in 2000. Eagle Point dropped from 27.2 percent to 15.5 percent. Jacksonville went from 17.2 percent to 7.7 percent. Talent showed a nearly 11 percent decline in residents without diplomas from 28.4 in 1990 to 17.5 in 2000, and Medford dropped from 18.2 to 16.7. Countywide, 22.3 percent of residents have a bachelor's degree or better compared to 17.6 percent in 1990. Lashelle Jackson, 16, of Medford, is one student who realizes the value of a degree. She is one of the first students in Jackson County to pass the new and improved general education development tests given this year at Rogue Community College. Nationally, the number of students who seek a GED has dropped by 3.1 percent, but at RCC, the numbers have gone up. From 2000-2001, 396 students passed the GED exam in Jackson County. For 1999-2000, 388 passed and in 1998-1999, 311 passed. Lashelle, who already has a car and a job at T.J. Maxx, plans to get a one-year degree in juvenile correction from Rogue Community College by the time she graduates. "I didn't want to spend the next year and a half in high school, when I could go to college," said Lashelle. "I just wanted to get a head start." While completing high school is important, said Gordon Safley of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Institute, a diploma might not be critical to get an entry-level job. More important, he says, is that someone has good work ethics. "The ability to show up on time and a positive attitude are very important," he said. However, if two applicants apply for the same job - one with a diploma and one without - "the high school degree is the better choice," Safley said. Many employers also will look at applicants with a high school or college degree more favorably because they have shown they want to put in the extra effort and are more trainable. Depending on economic conditions, a degree may not help someone get a good job. "In the San Jose area, I visited a hotel where their doorman had a master's in electrical engineering," he said. Overall, he said, "I do believe kids need a high school degree." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.