Wed, Nov 25 2009
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Published September 09, 2009 05:55 pm - If Ohio has a brain drain problem — and it most certainly does — Ashtabula County has one that's even worse. What I'm talking about is the best and brightest of our students getting a good high school education here and then moving elsewhere, so another community, often far-flung from us, enjoys the fruits of those labors. Housing plan won’t cure brain-drain problem ROBERT LEBZELTER column for Sept. 11, 2009 Star Beacon If Ohio has a brain drain problem — and it most certainly does — Ashtabula County has one that's even worse. What I'm talking about is the best and brightest of our students getting a good high school education here and then moving elsewhere, so another community, often far-flung from us, enjoys the fruits of those labors. Let me explain further. County taxpayers, often through property taxes, spend thousands and thousands of dollars to educate our children. A recent Beacon story reported that Pierpont students who left Buckeye schools in favor of Pymatuning took with them $5,700 each in state money. Multiply that by 13 for an education in Kindergarten through Grade 12 and that's $68,400. Add to that what the local district invests, which can be more or less than the state, and you could easily have $100,000 or more. Of course, funding levels change with inflation and the economy, but any way you cut it, local and state taxpayers are shelling out a lot for each student. Now let's say the bright and best student takes his or her $100,000 high school diploma and goes to a state college, where taxpayers are again subsidizing. From there, he or she goes off to Oshkosh, Wis., where a job is available in his or her field. From there that person becomes a productive citizen, pays big taxes because he or she earns a big salary, then contributes to the local center for the arts and youth sporting events in Oshkosh.. Meanwhile, those left in places like Ashtabula County must work harder to educate the next class that takes the moolah and finds a job in Pismo Beach. It's a serious problem and may at least partially be addressed by Grants for Grads. It's being administered by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. Simply put, you are from Ohio, are educated here and get your university degree (bachelor, masters, doctorate) from a public or private school in the Buckeye State. Within 18 months of graduating, you could be eligible for up to 2.5 percent of the purchase price of a home. You could use the money for a down payment or closing costs. If you move during the first year, you repay the money. If you stay in the house five years, you don't have to pay it back. As you can imagine, there will be all sorts of conditions. It appears you must get the loan through the First-Time Buyer Program. All of the rules and regulations were being worked out and when first proposed, money was to be distributed via a lottery. Whether that is still the case, I don't know. Learn more at http://www.ohiohome.org/homebuyer/. The trouble is, educated people aren't going to stay in Ohio because they can get help buying a home. They move somewhere because they can get a good job in the field they are educated in at a nice salary. If you are unemployed or are working at Wal-Mart after getting your master's degree, you aren't going to buy a home, even if the state gives you 2.5 percent. If we want to stop the brain drain in our region, we have to create competitive employment. This past spring when you saw stories in this newspaper about talented, smart kids obtaining awards and scholarships, did you think any of them would end up returning here to live? Not much chance. We have a much better chance of retaining those kids who will soon be kicked out of the Youth Detention Center than the best and brightest. Heck, with the Lake Erie Correctional Institution in Conneaut, we can retain those YDC alumnus even when they are off on an occasional jaunt to prison before returning to sell drugs and live on food stamps. 
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