Creating Greater Opportunity in South Carolina's I-95 Corridor: a Human Needs Assessment
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Creating Greater Opportunity in South Carolina’s I-95 Corridor: A Human Needs Assessment Report Prepared for Francis Marion University PO Box 100547 Florence, South Carolina 29502 South Carolina State University 300 College Street, NE Orangeburg, South Carolina 29117 Prepared by Toby Moore Sara Lawrence RTI International 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 RTI Project Number 0211544.000.002 RTI Project Number 0211544.000.002 Creating Greater Opportunity in South Carolina’s I-95 Corridor: A Human Needs Assessment Report Prepared for Francis Marion University PO Box 100547 Florence, South Carolina 29502 South Carolina State University 300 College Street, NE Orangeburg, South Carolina 29117 Prepared by Toby Moore Sara Lawrence RTI International 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Contents Section Page Executive Summary ................................................................. 1 Master List of Findings and Recommendations .............................. 4 Introduction to South Carolina’s I-95 Corridor ............................. 11 1. The First Priority: Build Local Capacity and Leadership ............ 1-1 2. Develop a Regional Economic Perspective ............................. 2-1 3. Improve and Extend the Education System ........................... 3-1 4. Close the Infrastructure Gap ............................................... 4-1 5. Modernize State and Local Finance Structures ....................... 5-1 6. Target Disparities in Health and Social Services ..................... 6-1 Appendix A. Research Methodology, Challenges, and Assumptions.................................................................... A-1 Appendix B. Tourism and Recreation ........................................ B-1 Appendix C. Infrastructure ..................................................... C-1 Appendix D. Job Trends ......................................................... D-1 iii Figures Number Page 2-1. Employment by Sector in the I-95 Corridor, 2007 ............... 2-6 2-2. Establishments by County in Transportation and Warehousing, 2007 ....................................................... 2-11 2-4. Employment Growth Rates in Manufacturing by County ...... 2-14 2-5. Map of Lakes and Rivers in South Carolina ........................ 2-17 iv Tables Number Page 1. Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, I-95 Corridor and State, 2005 .................................................................... 14 2. Median Household Income, 2005 .......................................... 15 3. December 2008 Unemployment Rates, I-95 Corridor ............... 18 2-1. Employment Growth Rates for I-95, S.C., and the U.S. ....... 2-7 2-2. Healthcare and Social Assistance NAICS 62 ....................... 2-8 2-3. Transportation and Warehousing NAICS 48-49 ................. 2-11 2-4. Manufacturing NAICS 31-33 .......................................... 2-13 3-1. SC School Enrollment 2003–2004 .................................... 3-4 3-2. Educational Attainment in the Corridor, 25 Years Old and Older, 2000 ............................................................ 3-7 3-3. Adults Lacking Basic Prose Literacy Skills, 2003 ................ 3-14 3-4. Selected Freshman Graduation Rates, 2004–2005 ............ 3-15 4-1. Existing and New Growth Infrastructure Costs in South Carolina, 1995–2015 ..................................................... 4-3 4-2. Water & Sewer Infrastructure Investment in I-95 Corridor Counties, 1999 to 2008 ..................................... 4-6 4-3. Total Infrastructure Needs and Projected Water and Sewer Needs 1995–2015 .............................................. 4-10 4-4. Assessment of Water and Sewer Capacity for County Seats .......................................................................... 4-12 4-5. Service Providers and Capacity Information for County Seats .......................................................................... 4-14 4-6. Projected Transportation Needs 1995–2015 ..................... 4-21 5-1. States Ranked by Total Per Capita State Taxes, 2005 ......... 5-4 v 5-2. Millage Rates and Assessed Property Values ...................... 5-9 5-3. Expenditures, Budget, and Debt for I-95 counties Compared to the State Average ..................................... 5-10 6-1. Life Expectancy in I-95 Corridor Counties, 1999 ................ 6-4 6-2. Infant Mortality Rates, per 1,000 Live Births, 2004– 2006 ............................................................................ 6-5 6-3. Physicians and Nurses, 2005 ........................................... 6-8 6-4. Teen Pregnancy Rates .................................................. 6-10 vi Executive Summary South Carolina’s I-95 Corridor is a diverse and expansive region of 17 counties and nearly a million people, stretching from North Carolina to Georgia. Despite advantages, including proximity to the coast and major transportation routes, the Corridor has long been under-developed. With that underdevelopment have come problems ranging from struggling schools to cyclical poverty to lagging health and social well-being indicators. Seeking to address this underdevelopment, Francis Marion University and South Carolina State University commissioned RTI International to conduct a human needs assessment for the region. Combining more than 60 interviews with stakeholders and experts with topical area research and best practices, RTI identified 26 findings and 66 recommendations, intended to guide regional and state leaders and forge greater opportunities for residents of the Corridor. Recognizing that human needs encompass a very broad array of socio-economic issues, RTI used its interview process to match its findings to the emphasis that people in the region placed on them. We identified six fundamental needs in the region: 1. Leadership and Local Capacity The first priority is to boost local leadership and build the capacity of Corridor communities. With greater levels of leadership and community engagement, localities can initiate and manage change. Too many Corridor counties are divided, whether by local rivalries, class lines, or race. The private sector, including the business community and the philanthropic community, should be better integrated into local change and development activities. 1 RTI International I-95 Corridor Human Needs Assessment 2. Regional Economic Development Creating a shared vision for the region’s economic opportunities and aligning resources with that vision will allow decision makers to leverage greater state and national resources for investment in the corridor. At the regional level, appropriate industry sectors for recruitment and retention can be more readily identified, and small business and entrepreneurs supported more substantially. The region’s landmark public universities in the region, Francis Marion and South Carolina State, should continue to build their roles as regional leaders, expanding their outreach and community service activities. 3. Education Corridor schools are widely perceived, within the region and from outside the region, as substandard. This study recommends that the Corridor and the state of South Carolina work to improve teacher recruitment and retention; highlight success and progress where warranted; develop incentive programs to encourage school district consolidation; and pressure the state legislature to follow through with the court-ordered expansion of early childhood education, using lottery money to move toward universal kindergarten for 4-year-olds. 4. Infrastructure The Corridor’s infrastructure must meet modern demands if the region is to compete in the global economy. Local officials are particularly concerned about water and sewer, arguing that without more hookups it is difficult to attract outside investment. Transportation, broadband, rail, and ports are also areas of concern. The region has an opportunity with the federal stimulus package to help close this infrastructure gap. In addition to forging a unified voice to press the state for aid, the Corridor needs to learn ways to better finance its own infrastructure improvements from within. 5. Tax and Finance Due to state regulation, a limited taxable property base, and a lack of local initiative, the 17-county region as a whole has a limited ability to finance their own public investments. A thorough and unbiased study of how rural and high- poverty counties are treated by the state’s tax system is overdue. Corridor communities need to devise new and innovative mechanisms to finance local improvements, drawing from best practices in other parts of South Carolina and in other states. State and local leaders need to give county managers their support in pursuing such endeavors with accountability and transparency. 2 RTI International I-95 Corridor Human Needs Assessment 6. Healthcare and Social Service Disparities RTI’s research found troubling evidence that decades-long progress on a series of important health problems may be coming to a close. Recommendations focus on addressing disparities in healthcare access, particularly for children and the rural poor. In addition, we recommend that local governments seek alternatives to incarceration and juvenile crime programs to lower incarceration rates, save public money, and keep nonviolent offenders from becoming trapped in the criminal justice system. Identifying Opportunities While focused primarily on the current needs of the Corridor, this study also identifies many areas of opportunity. If local, state, and regional leaders