North Idaho Receives F In Key Areas Unemployment, Dropout Rate Highest In State, Department Reports

North Idaho has the state’s worst unemployment, high school dropout rate and number of children born out of wedlock, according to a new state report.

“It’s not exactly the kinds of things you want to be a leader on,” said Steve McKenna of the state Department of Health & Welfare.

Shoshone County had the highest numbers, topping the state in unemployment, child abuse reports and people on welfare.

“It does warrant special attention,” said Rob Gregory, head of the department’s Family and Children’s Services for the region.

Gregory said the report, titled “Building Stronger Families,” pulls together statistics to allow communities to look at their needs. “I think it’s an excellent way to kind of draw data together so communities can decide where they need to prioritize and focus.”

The figures, drawn from state vital statistics and other sources, include the following:

Bonner County has the second-highest high school dropout rate in the state, at 11.2 percent. Bonner also is the second-highest in the state for its rate of children born out of wedlock, at 28.5 percent in 1993.

On the other hand, Bonner was among the lowest in the state, 34th out of the 44 counties, for impoverished families headed by females with children under 18. It also ranked low, at 37th, in the percentage of families with two workers: 42.7 percent.

Boundary County ranked third for highschool dropouts, at 10.4 percent.

Benewah County has the state’s fifthhighest unemployment rate (11.3 percent in 1994) and the fourth-highest rate of children born out of wedlock. But it’s 39th out of 44 counties for the rate of low birth-weight babies.

Kootenai County fares relatively well in most categories, ranking 10th in high school dropout rate, 15th for children born out of wedlock and 21st for unemployment. Childabuse reports per capita rank 40th among the 44 counties.

Shoshone County’s numbers are the poorest in the report, topped by its record for the highest unemployment in the state.

Shoshone also ranks No. 1 in a host of other problems, including child abuse reports and children born out of wedlock.

“I think it’s all interrelated,” said Betty Maxwell, director of the Shoshone County Women’s Resource Center. “You get one thing and you seem to get the other ones with it.”

Maxwell said social service workers struggle with low staffing and funding, and the needs just seem to keep soaring.

“We seem to kind of like a magnet draw more unemployed people here,” she said. “One lady, I said, ‘Why did you come here?’ and she said, ‘Because I like trees.”’

Gregory said lower rents in Shoshone County are drawing some lowerincome people, leaving behind their support systems such as extended families. That may leave more people in need.

McKenna said people continue to move to North Idaho because they think there are lots of jobs and housing costs are low.

“You kind of wish you could find out whoever told them that and educate them. It’s really unfortunate, but the draw of people continues to be very high from all states.”

McKenna, who is in charge of financial and medical assistance programs in the region, said a high percentage of new applicants for public assistance in North Idaho have come from out of state.

They typically come either because of family ties or because “they believe that things are so much better in North Idaho than wherever they came from.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BOTTOM OF THE LIST North Idaho ranks highest of any region in the state for: Unemployment Children born out of wedlock High school dropouts People on food stamps Homes with incomplete plumbing

Shoshone County ranks first per capita among Idaho’s 44 counties for: Unemployment Female-headed households Children born out of wedlock Child abuse reports People on welfare and/or food stamps Source: Idaho Department of Health & Welfare