Jacksonville Community Council Inc. has released its 27th annual Quality of Life Progress Report, which analyzes indicators to “provide a roadmap” for the community for planning and evaluating purposes.
The report analyzes nine areas. A summary is presented here. For the complete report, visit jcci.org.
Achieving educational excellence
• Good news: School incidents have dropped 41 percent in the past three years and are at the lowest level in the 14 years they have been tracked. The high school graduation rate increased for the fifth consecutive year and kindergarten readiness has improved.
• Needs improvement: The level of 10th graders with adequate reading comprehension remains “disturbingly low.” Kindergarten readiness assessment tools continue to change and result in different outcomes.
Growing a vibrant economy
• Good news: The three-year trend of losing jobs has ended and almost 4,000 more people were employed in 2010 compared to 2009. The percent of cost-burdened households remains steady despite a 12 percent unemployment rate.
• Needs improvement: Families continue to struggle finding work and maintaining financial stability because of a four-year surge of unemployment and decline in per capita income. The unemployment rate has jumped to three times the rate as in 2005 and twice the rate of 1991, when the nation was in recession.
Preserving the environment
• Good news: Air quality decreased but its five-year trend is moving in a positive direction. There have been incremental increases in land set aside for designated parks and conservation.
• Needs improvement: The St. Johns River tributaries are becoming less safe for humans, plants and wildlife and nearly half fail to meet standards for dissolved oxygen. Particularly disturbing is that more than one-third of tributaries are polluted with fecal-coliform bacteria.
Promoting social well-being
• Good news: Residents continue to share their time and money through volunteering and charity, despite financial instability. Race relations appear to be improving as perceptions of the problem have decreased. Birth rates to teens continue to drop and the rate is the lowest since tracking began.
• Needs improvement: A dramatic increase in homelessness suggests Jacksonville is not able to help its struggling individuals and families. Financial support for nonprofits, which provide social services, appears to be increasing at a slower rate compared to homelessness.
Enjoying arts, recreation
and culture
• Good news: Residents are attending more public performances and events since 2006 and attendance at sporting events and musical events also has increased.
• Needs improvement: Financial support for arts and recreation continued to decline. Per capita funding for recreational activities and maintenance dropped to the lowest levels recorded in 20 years.
Sustaining a healthy community
• Good news: New HIV cases have decreased by almost one-third. Suicide rates are decreasing for youth and seniors.
• Needs improvement: Sexually transmitted diseases rates climbed by 9 percent. The overall trend has increased in the past 20 years.
Maintaining a responsive government
• Good news: The percentage of residents who say they have moderate or great influence on local government has increased. The City has more female and minority leaders.
• Needs improvement: The percentage of citizens registered to vote in the 2011 election declined. Less than half of resident say that the quality of their elected leadership is either “good” or “excellent.”
Moving around efficiently and safely
• Good news: The two-year trend of fewer airport users ended this year and cyclists are safer than last year. Motor vehicle accidents per 1,000 people declined.
• Needs improvement: The Jacksonville Transportation Authority miles-of-service is disturbing given the land area and working poor having decreased capacity for affordable transportation.
Keeping the community safe
• Good news: Key indicators moved in a positive direction. The murder rate continues to decline and is at its lowest rate since JCCI began tracking it. Indicators of feeling safe and reported crimes have both improved.
• Needs improvement: Positive trends in violent and non-violent crime might hide the realities of families living with financial and emotional strains. Verified child abuse and neglect reports are worsening.
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