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The Record of Wilkes

(Editor’s note: The following letter, submitted by Rep. Virginia Foxx’s office to The Record, was originally written to The Wall Street Journal in response to a story that paper published citing Wilkes County as being the “least highly educated” county in America.)

After reading the article “America, Up Close and Personal” in the Wall Street Journal on October 26, 2006, I found it neither an up close nor a personal look at America but instead driven solely by statistical data. The article does not take into account the quality of the people, the schools and the community, especially in the limited profile offered on the education level of Wilkes County, N.C. Instead it focuses only on advanced degrees such as masters, doctorates and professional degrees.

One can draw very different conclusions, depending on the sample or survey used. When looking at the population 25 and older in Wilkes County, the 2005 American Community Survey (ACS), used in the article, estimates 2.3 percent have their advanced degrees while the 2000 Census estimates 3.6 percent. The ACS samples about one in 40 while the Census surveys one in six. The article goes on to say that Wilkes County is the “Least Highly Educated” county in the U.S. leading readers to believe that the numbers reflect the intellect of citizens or represent all degrees as the term “higher education” entails. In reality, Wilkes County has a strong and knowledgeable workforce.

Wilkes County’s workforce, excellent quality of life, abundance of land and low operating costs have continued to draw business and industry to the area. The county is rich in culture, tourism, industry and higher education opportunities. Despite its rural character and small populations, Wilkes County has been the birthplace of numerous successful industries such as Lowe’s Home Improvement, Northwestern Bank and Lowe’s Foods. Wilkes County remains one of the largest producers of poultry in the Eastern United States with Tyson Foods being the largest employer in the area.

Representing Wilkes County for over four years, first in the N.C. Senate and now in the U.S. House of Representatives, and having lived in an adjoining county for over 40 years has allowed me to see first hand that the people of Wilkes County are intelligent, well educated, and hard working regardless of their degrees. Residents of rural areas like Wilkes County, which are strongholds for manufacturing and agriculture, tend to be pragmatic and fiscally conservative folks. For this reason, residents may choose not to seek advanced degrees which may not advance them materially. However, this is changing due to growth in population, economic development and the county’s ample opportunities for higher education.

Both Appalachian State University (ASU) and Wilkes Community College offer the county numerous ways to advance in education and knowledge. ASU offers five undergraduate colleges and schools plus one graduate school with more than 100 studies at the master’s level, earning ASU 12th place among the South’s top 63 master’s universities in 2007 by U.S. News and World Report. Wilkes Community College offers 39 opportunities for degrees, diplomas, and certificates in areas of study in the Art and Sciences, Business and Public Technologies, Health Sciences, and Industrial and Engineering Technology.

Wilkes County has grown significantly in population, economic development and higher education from its historic roots. I believe the “America, Up Close and Personal” article is short-sighted and misleading. Success of a community should not be measured by how many citizens possess master’s degrees but on the heart and soul of its people, culture and commerce. Wilkes County has proven abundant in these categories and I see only success in the future.

Virginia Foxx, Ed.D.
Member of Congress