TERRE HAUTE —
Vigo County needs an exodus czar.
Not the biblical Exodus. Instead, this exodus (lower-case e) refers to the departure of young people from this community, as revealed in the newly released 2010 Census figures. An independent czar — and who wouldn’t want that title? — could study the problem, develop a strategy and coordinate its execution with city and county officials as well as economic development and business leaders. That person could be a retired college prof or CEO. Teams of students from the five local colleges could assist in the research. With so many energetic, progressive organizations here — from the campuses to civic groups, Terre Haute Ministries and others — the community could mount a full-scale attack on a trend threatening its future.
In the past decade, many families have left the county to live elsewhere.
The numbers, closely analyzed, reveal the frustrating reality.
At first glance, the Census Bureau statistics look pretty good. Vigo County’s population grew 1.9 percent to 107,848 in the 2010 count, up from 105,848 in 2000. Likewise, Terre Haute’s population jumped by 2 percent to 60,785 in the latest census, compared to 59,614 in 2000.
But those increases contain an asterisk. Most of the growth can be attributed to the expansion of the Federal Correctional Complex and the additional inmates it now houses. (In the census, federal prison inmates count as residents of the community where they’re incarcerated.) In 2000, the local penitentiary held 1,764 prisoners at maximum- and minimum-security structures. A third facility was added in 2004. Thus, by Census Day 2010, Terre Haute’s federal inmate population had grown to 3,251, according to U.S. Bureau of Prisons statistics gathered by Peter Wagner of the Massachusetts-based Prison Policy Initiative.
So, the non-federal-inmate population of Vigo County rose only slightly (from 103,915 free residents to 104,597) from 2000 to 2010.
And, the non-federal-inmate population of Terre Haute (the prison is within the city limits) dropped in the past decade, from 57,850 to 57,534.
The extra inmates also show up in the most troubling stats in the community’s preliminary census profile. (The Census Bureau will release more detailed information this spring and summer.) The number of Vigo County residents 18 years of age and older climbed by 3,167 people (or 3.9 percent) between 2000 and 2010. Terre Haute’s over-18 crowd grew by 1,757 people (which would include the additional 1,487 federal prisoners).
By contrast, the county’s under-18 population decreased by 1,167 youths (or 4.8 percent) from 2000 to 2010. The city’s kid total dropped by 586 in the same timespan.
Last fall, the Vigo County School Corp. announced that its enrollment had dropped by 208 students from the previous year. In 2007-08, the district had 16,184 students in grades K-12; in 2008-09, it was 16,041; in 2010-11, it’s fallen to 15,780. The corporation usually receives between $5,000 and $6,000 per student in state funding, so resources dwindle. Those vacant desks and chairs and lockers also represent the lost talents and potential contributions of the students and their families.
Birth and death rates apparently aren’t to blame. Baby announcements outnumbered funerals by 212 in 2008, and by 400 the year before, according to the Indiana Business Research Center.
The primary culprit — plant closings throughout the decade, especially recession-era shutdowns such as Pfizer.
“It’s very likely that, with the loss of jobs, the area around Terre Haute lost families or people of family-formation ages,” said Carol Rogers, deputy director of the IBRC.
“They had to go elsewhere to look for work,” Rogers speculated.
The community isn’t alone. Sixty-nine of Indiana’s 92 counties lost population in the under-18 age group, said Matt Kinghorn, demographer for the IBRC. Some counties experienced far worse, double-digit percentage drops, including Posey, Blackford, Newton, Grant and Delaware. Relative to those places, Vigo County has fared decently. Kid populations shrank in neighboring Clay and Vermillion counties by 7.1 and 6.2 percent, respectively.
Hot spots around the state, though, saw growth in their school-age population. Those included “the usual suspects,” as Kinghorn put it — Hamilton, Hendricks and Hancock counties in the affluent Indianapolis suburbs — but also Tippecanoe County (home of Purdue University), Monroe County (home of Indiana University) and the suburbs of Louisville, Ky., and Evansville. (Statewide, the under-18 population rose 2.2 percent.)
How can Vigo County join that hot spot list? Well, there’s the natural way, which puts a lot pressure on young couples to up their family sizes to three or four kids. “In most places in Indiana, we’re not seeing that kind of reproduction,” Rogers said.
The other option is to focus on being a hub for jobs (which the mayor, county commissioners and economic development folks already are busy doing), and on being a family-friendly community and trying to attract young people, Rogers added. An exodus czar (or “growth czar” if that sounds more positive) and a coalition of students, volunteers and churches could help local officials with the latter task.
The czar would decide what Vigo County needs (along with the obvious, jobs) to recruit young families to come here, and how to keep more graduates of Indiana State University, Rose-Hulman and St. Mary-of-the-Woods. Then, by the 2020 Census, the exodus czar can retire — preferably here in Terre Haute, not Florida or Arizona.
Mark Bennett can be reached at (812) 231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.
Mark Bennett Opinion
Related Photos
-
Mark Bennett
Discussion
MARK BENNETT: Community effort needed to reverse trend in under-18 population
- Mark Bennett Opinion
-
-
MARK BENNETT: Commencement Advice
Today’s high school commencement speakers should repeat their speeches in hospital delivery rooms in the months ahead.
-
MARK BENNETT: American nurses, medics, stranded behind Nazi lines, survived through tenacity, heroism, generosity
A story of survival, perseverance, danger, and extraordinary courage and generosity extended in the midst of war remained untold for decades, but thankfully not forever.
-
Mark Bennett: High-profile mural connects historical dots from city to river
At 96 feet wide and 2 stories tall, the power, impact and value of the Wabash will be evident.
-
MARK BENNETT: Life at face value: Mom’s simple advice still presents a valuable daily challenge
Most moms don’t base their advice on scientific research.
(Unless, of course, your mother is a scientific researcher. If so, carry a No. 2 pencil and take good notes.) -
MARK BENNETT: Should I stay or should I go?
Some have their Bill Clinton-era Cavalier packed (with the trunk bungee-ed shut), apartment cleaned (except for the fridge), and iPhone GPS locked onto the fastest route out of Terre Haute. Others are staying — until they find a better job, or because they’re starting a career here, or because this town feels like home. In each case, a new stage of life begins today.
-
College Class of '13 gets a little extra advice
Local college grads will hear commencement speakers offer life and career advice this month. We’re offering them an extra dose here from folks who’ve found success in various vocations and regions of the nation. Many have Terre Haute roots.
-
MARK BENNETT: Spirited response to a rising river
The power within the Wabash revealed itself last week.
-
MARK BENNETT: Littered with irony: Why do people callously discard their trash, and who are they?
Though they aren’t acknowledged by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are basically two demographic groups of people … Those who would dump their old toilet on the banks of the Wabash River or a rural roadside. And those who wouldn’t.
-
MARK BENNETT: Performing under the radar: Toiling for years behind the scenes, Terre Haute native J.T. Corenflos finally earned a splash of musical recognition
People who diligently work to make others shine are a rare breed.
-
Season of Day 2s arrives
Calendars in Cincinnati contain one extra holiday — Opening Day, traditionally the first Monday in April.
-
MARK BENNETT: Amid tragedy and chaos, the hopeful smiles of youth could not be repressed
The image jars the viewer. On its own, the old photograph appears ordinary. Three smiling kids.
-
MARK BENNETT: A century later, ‘On the Banks of the Wabash’ still rises above Indiana politics
Music and politics share one commonality — people who like a style different from yours are nuts.
-
MARK BENNETT: Digit dialing a thing of the past, but telephoning is still a numbers game
You’ve heard of child prodigies who can play Mozart on piano or perform calculus at the age of 5.
That wasn’t me. -
MARK BENNETT: After years of preparation, 60 immigrants will gather in Terre Haute on March 14 to pledge their allegiance to the United States of America
It will have been a long and difficult road, but it will be an emotional moment when they raise their right hands and begin the oath of citizenship
-
MARK BENNETT: The fall and rise of a ‘Young Titan’
Broken. Humiliated. Discarded. Finished.
Few of us think of Winston Churchill in such bleak terms. -
MARK BENNETT: Trying to keep momentum of acceptance within the community a key part of Jeff Lorick’s job
Second-graders’ eyes and minds function differently.
They see the future unjaded. Their possibilities stand tall, not yet choked by the adult weeds of prejudice and bitterness. -
MARK BENNETT: For Glenda Ritz, being educator, ‘not a politician’ still makes good political sense
Educator, not a politician.
Glenda Ritz emphasizes that distinction about herself. -
MARK BENNETT: Falling short of the big prize will produce lessons nonetheless
This is a day for Roman numerals.
Americans seldom use them. And when we do, humility is not our purpose. -
MARK BENNETT: Forgotten Message: Advice from ‘The Mick’ should be remembered in wake of Lance Armstrong’s troubles
The two comments were almost identical.
-
MARK BENNETT: A sense of Americana constant passenger as iconic Corvette motors through milestone birthday
On my last ride at the wheel of a ’Vette, I was a wide-eyed teenager, guiding my brother’s almost-new, orange 1976 model.
-
MARK BENNETT: Sculptor from North Carolina to capture image of Indiana’s first black state legislator
Well-meaning parents try to instill strong character in their kids.
“Don’t be afraid to stand up for your beliefs,” moms and dads will insist, “even if you stand alone.” -
MARK BENNETT: Heart ailments, avoidable health issues affect high numbers of Vigo residents
Many folks in Vigo County will analyze digits on their bathroom scales this month. After all, January and fitness resolutions are traditional partners.
-
MARK BENNETT: For some people in the Wabash Valley, happy holidays require a little help
Picture yourself as a kid, not yet 5 years old, growing up in a small house in Terre Haute.
-
MARK BENNETT: Beware Ignorance and Want and reap the benefits of early education
Pretend that Charles Dickens is about to become Indiana’s next governor.
-
MARK BENNETT: In spirit of season, calculate your fiscal cliff impact, then argue
Envision “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”
-
MARK BENNETT: Members of Congress should be free to consider all sides of an issue
Attempting to trump the U.S. Constitution requires some nerve.
-
MARK BENNETT: An unbudging Congress standing on opposing sides accomplishes little
Sausage patties, hugging a scoop of scrambled eggs and a couple slices of toast on a plate, and chased with nearby steaming black coffee.
-
MARK BENNETT: Hoosier voters issue mandate on Bennett’s school reforms
Mike Pence, Mitch Daniels and Indiana legislators should respect the votes of 1,315,026 Hoosiers.
-
MARK BENNETT: Elections, governing would look a lot different if everybody voted
A raffle ticket purchase usually comes with a disclaimer — “you must be present to win.”
-
MARK BENNETT: On Election Day, as Vigo County goes, so goes the United States
Hempstead sounds like a fine place.
- More Mark Bennett Opinion Headlines
-
Tiger on Sergio: 'It's Time to Move On'
Robot Action Connected to Human Thought
NYC 911 Call Lasts for 8 Hours
Rain Damages Brazil Soccer Stadium
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
California Cops Cruise on Stand-up Paddle Patrol
Falling Cable Hurts 10 NASCAR Fans
Obama: US Has Helped Syrian Rebels
Raw: 100K Protesters Flood Brazilian Streets
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail
Afghan Forces Take Afghanistan Security Lead
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Transgender Candidate Running in NYC
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
WATCH IT: Lil Wayne tramples American flag
Mariah Carey Looks Beautiful in a Tiny Cut-Out Swimsuit
Out of Control Boat Throws Passengers Overboard
See Lindsay Lohan in Rehab
Sofia Vergara Posts Perky Backside Pic in Thong
Gaga Ditches Her Crazy Couture
Caught on Tape: Teacher Accused of Beating Autistic Child
"Stay Classy" Campaign Aims to Curb Binge Drinking
Sesame Street Tackling Tough Topic Parents in Jail
Miss Utah Fumbles Interview Question
Deranged man claims Newark-bound flight was poisoned
