Strong schools, strong Washington

A new school year is around the corner, and recent test results are paving the way to a good start.

Today’s release of ACT exam scores shows Washington students continue, for the eighth straight year, to score far above the national average. With more than an average composite score of 22.8 percent, Washington students in the class of 2011 finished with the ninth highest composite score in the nation. One out of every five Washington 12th graders (13,677) took the ACT in the 2010-11 school year, a record for ACT participation in this state. Click here to read more.

Additionally, given this year’s release of SAT scores and Advanced Placement participation rates, Washington students appear to have a leg up on the rest of the country. Washington students have led the nation in average SAT scores among states with at least 50 percent participation for the past eight years. Also, 18,296 Washington students (or 28%) in the class of 2010 took at least one AP exam, an increase of nearly 1,061 from the previous year and 4,982 from five years ago. For more information, visit the College Board’s sixth annual AP Report to the Nation. As for higher education, Washington’s public four-year colleges and universities have the best graduation rates in the nation (69.4% compared to the national average of 53.6%).

With some of the world’s best companies and skilled workers, the road to a prosperous future for Washington and its students surely looks promising.

To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.

Job gains in state steady, but not enough to drop unemployment rate

New monthly numbers released be the state Employment Security Department show a consistent increase in new jobs over the past 11 months. But those numbers are offset by job losses and a stagnant economy. 5,700 jobs were added in July, but the unemployment rate remained at 9.3 percent.

Year over year, more than 37,000 jobs have been added in Washington, accounting for a gain of 46,000 private-sector jobs and a loss of 8,800 government jobs.

According to ESD, industries that posted gains in July were leisure and hospitality, which added 1,700 jobs; manufacturing, up 1,600; retail trade, up 1,200; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 1,200; professional and business, up 1,100; financial activities, up 1,000; construction, up 800; and government, up 500.

Jobs were lost in other services, down 2,200, and information, down 1,000.

If you or someone you know is looking for work or may qualify for unemployment insurance, visit: ESD's website here.

To read this blog post in Spanish, please go here.

Four years later, Grays Harbor IPZ businesses remain optimistic

The mood at two Grays Harbor County employers was decidedly optimistic last week. Despite the lingering effects of the national recession, these businesses are doing well and either have plans to expand or hope to be able to expand in the future, which is good news not only for Harborites, but all Washingtonians.

Rep. Steve Tharinger toured Paneltech and Imperium Renewables as he swung through Grays Harbor on August 10 and 11. At both locations, he met with managers who seemed upbeat about the future.

Imperium, which currently has 42 full-time employees, is hoping to be able to approximately double its workforce at the Hoquiam plant if it is able to secure a long-term contract with the U.S. military to produce aviation biofuel. The Hoquiam plant is already the nation's largest BQ-9000®-certified biofuel refinery.

Paneltech, another Grays Harbor-headquartered company, is also a recognized leader in the manufacturing of eco-friendly wood products. In fact, Paneltech uses 100 percent post-consumer paper waste combined with resin from manufacturing waste to create sustainable products that are used by homeowners, businesses, and even the U.S. military.

Both Paneltech and Imperium are part of the Grays Harbor Sustainable Industries Innovation Partnership Zone. Innovation Partnership Zones (IPZs) were created by the Legislature in 2007 as a way to bring together public, private, and nonprofit entities to further research and job creation in fields that show exciting promise for economic development. The Grays Harbor site was one of the 12 original IPZs named by Governor Gregoire.

Photo: Rep. Tharinger examines a piece of Paperstone, a product made by Paneltech at its Hoquiam manufacturing facility. To his right is Roy Nott, Paneltech's president.

Are you 18-25 years old? Like working outdoors? Apply for one of 245 conservation jobs!

The state Department of Ecology announced yesterday that the Washington Conservation Corps will soon be hiring 245 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 for work on environmental projects around the state.

Most of the new hires will be part of the WCC's "Puget Sound Corps," which was created this year through legislation sponsored by state Rep. Steve Tharinger. Puget Sound Corps crews will work in at least 10 of the 12 counties that border Puget Sound on projects that align with the goals of the Puget Sound Partnership's Action Agenda, which centers around restoring Puget Sound's health by 2020. This includes habitat restoration projects along streams and shorelines.

By working with the state Department of Veterans Affairs, the WCC will also be able to provide work opportunities on Puget Sound Corps crews for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The one-year positions begin in October. An online application for WCC positions can be found here.

Price tags for initiatives now posted

The Office of Financial Management (OFM) is required to provide fiscal impact statements in the voters’ pamphlet for all initiatives on the ballot. These statements can help voters understand the cost and revenue implications of policy proposals. Legislators are provided similar information on bills considered during a legislative session.

This year there are three initiatives that qualified to appear on the November ballot:

• 1125 is an Eyman initiative placing restrictions on tolling funding
  
• 1163 would require background checks and training for long-term care workers
• 1183 is a Costco-back liquor privatization measure
  

The statements for Initiatives 1125, 1163 and 1183 are now posted on the OFM website. They're worth a read.

You might be richer than you think!

Have you ever moved out of an apartment and not gotten those irritating utility deposits back? Did your Nana start you a savings account on your 1st birthday that nobody told you about? Does your insurance company owe you for an accidental overpayment?

You probably don't have any idea if there's a little nest egg out there with your name on it, but the Washington State Department of Revenue just might. At any given time, the department has tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed property and they would love to help you recover any that might belong to you.

The first step is to check this website and enter your name. If something shows up, there are clear instructions on how to get your money or property back.

While most claims are between $50 and $100, there are some big surprises in store for a few lucky people, too. Check out the latest in this Seattle Times story.

Volunteer service could be worth a varsity letter for high schoolers

Since 2001, an ever-increasing number of high schools in Pierce County have partnered with United Way to offer students the chance to earn a varsity letter in community service. The first year of the program, seven students were awarded letters; this year, 408 youth were honored at an awards ceremony. By comparison, about 5,000 students receive varsity letters for sports each year at Pierce County high schools.

Rep. Ruth Kagi would like to see Pierce’s County’s program go statewide, so more students can be given the opportunity to earn a varsity letter for their volunteer service efforts. To discuss ways of expanding the program across Washington, this week she met with state Superintendent Randy Dorn, Executive director of United Way of Pierce County Rick Allen, and representatives from the Gift of Giving Foundation in Shoreline, which has also successfully encouraged and rewarded high school students to volunteer in their community. Superintendent Dorn agreed to write letters of support to school superintendents and principals of high schools throughout the state to encourage them to adopt the varsity letter program in their own districts.

In Pierce County, United Way receives and screens the applications for the letter award each year. In order to earn a letter, a student must be in grade 9-12, be in good standing with at least a 2.0 GPA, and volunteer a minimum of 145 hours between April 1 and March 31, 50 of which must be outside of school activities. The minimum number of hours was chosen based on the amount of time high school athletes dedicate to their sport, and was also deemed to be attainable.

“Participation in community service builds an understanding of the importance of community, and teaches valuable skills in much the same way that participation in team sports does,” Rep. Kagi said. “The success of this program in Pierce County can easily be duplicated in other counties, and our communities will benefit greatly from it.”