Establishing the Spokane Children's Investment Fund
Spokane is facing a persistently troubling
school dropout rate that educators and civic
leaders alike agree is undermining the social
fabric of our families and community life.
It is threatening our children's very ability to
succeed.
Almost one out of every three students
dropped out of school in Spokane last
year, among the highest in the State of
Washington. Sadly, the rate is even higher
for such student populations as African
American, American Indian/Alaska Native,
and foster care children.
While our public school system is doing
all that it can to close this gap, it truly is a
community-wide problem. It demands all of
us paying more attention to and providing
more resources for programs outside standard
school settings.
Consider these facts:
- Young dropouts are sixty three times more likely to end up in jail or a mental institution than
their counterparts who finish school.
- Young dropouts: unemployment rate is three times higher than those who finish school.
- Each dropout can cost taxpayers as much as $400,000 in social service spending.
How Can We Deal With This Urgent Problem?
Spokane voters are being asked to approve
a special Initiative which would establish
a "Children's Investment Fund" aimed at
providing more resources for existing preschool
and after school programs that ultimately
will lead to reducing the dropout rate
The Fund would not establish a new organization
or city department, but rather provide
additional needed resources through grants
to existing organizations already addressing
dropout root causes. Many of these programs
help children in their lives before and after the
classroom. Similar voter-approved funds in
Seattle and Portland have shown remarkable success.
What are the goals of these programs:
- To prevent child abuse, neglect and family violence
- To provide a safe place during out of school time hours
- To prepare children for arriving at school "ready to learn"
- To mentor children for success in school and later in life
Bottom line accountability: Within six
years of the fund's start, the goal will be
to significantly reduce the dropout rate by
as much as 20 percent, and there must be
proven long-term social service savings to
taxpayers as well as verifiable outcomes.