PSD remains one of the best in statewide graduation rates
Lori Losee of the Gateway
The Peninsula School District again boasts one of the highest percentage of high school graduates — and one of the lowest percentage of high school dropouts in the state.
The recent set of statistics furnished by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was released last month for the 2001-02 school year.
The study is a result of new federal and state accountability standards, which requires information regarding high school graduate and dropout rates.
For the PSD in the 2001-02 school year, 92.7 percent of all students at Gig Harbor, Henderson Bay and Peninsula high schools earned their diplomas on time. Just 3 percent dropped out.
Both figures well surpassed the statewide averages.
The average high-school graduation rate in Pierce County school districts was 85.7 percent; statewide, the figure stood at only 81.7. The same goes for the county and state high school dropout rate — 6.7 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively.
Ron Engelland, PSD director of assessment and research, said the 3 percent figure has been a constant range for dropouts districtwide over the past several years.
Students who drop out tend to be in their senior year of high school, Engelland said. They become frustrated with school or do not want to come back for a fifth year.
“We just lose some kids,” Engelland said. “We try to help in every way we know how, but we can’t save them all from dropping out.”
The graduation rate in the district has hovered between 92 to 94 percent, with about 4 percent of students taking five years to graduate. Engelland said these numbers are a bit confusing due to how these numbers from the high schools are reported to the school district.
Doug Anderson, Henderson Bay High School principal, said he was surprised at his school’s graduation and dropout statistics.
The study showed that HBHS had 100 percent of seniors graduating.
“At first I thought, ‘Holy cow, that’s great,’ but I don’t think that number is accurate,” Anderson said. “I have to go back and review our statistics.
“I am not sure how we reported our numbers.
Anderson later discovered the HBHS graduation statistics were incorrect, due to their computer tracking system.
“I wish those numbers were true, I would have taken them,” he said.
Engelland said since the state has not come up with a consistent reporting system for such statistics, each school could account for their dropouts in several ways.
He said the state is currently in the early stages of drafting school district polices regarding gathering these specific statistics.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
The Peninsula School District again boasts one of the highest percentage of high school graduates — and one of the lowest percentage of high school dropouts in the state.
The recent set of statistics furnished by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was released last month for the 2001-02 school year.
The study is a result of new federal and state accountability standards, which requires information regarding high school graduate and dropout rates.
For the PSD in the 2001-02 school year, 92.7 percent of all students at Gig Harbor, Henderson Bay and Peninsula high schools earned their diplomas on time. Just 3 percent dropped out.
Both figures well surpassed the statewide averages.
The average high-school graduation rate in Pierce County school districts was 85.7 percent; statewide, the figure stood at only 81.7. The same goes for the county and state high school dropout rate — 6.7 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively.
Ron Engelland, PSD director of assessment and research, said the 3 percent figure has been a constant range for dropouts districtwide over the past several years.
Students who drop out tend to be in their senior year of high school, Engelland said. They become frustrated with school or do not want to come back for a fifth year.
“We just lose some kids,” Engelland said. “We try to help in every way we know how, but we can’t save them all from dropping out.”
The graduation rate in the district has hovered between 92 to 94 percent, with about 4 percent of students taking five years to graduate. Engelland said these numbers are a bit confusing due to how these numbers from the high schools are reported to the school district.
Doug Anderson, Henderson Bay High School principal, said he was surprised at his school’s graduation and dropout statistics.
The study showed that HBHS had 100 percent of seniors graduating.
“At first I thought, ‘Holy cow, that’s great,’ but I don’t think that number is accurate,” Anderson said. “I have to go back and review our statistics.
“I am not sure how we reported our numbers.
Anderson later discovered the HBHS graduation statistics were incorrect, due to their computer tracking system.
“I wish those numbers were true, I would have taken them,” he said.
Engelland said since the state has not come up with a consistent reporting system for such statistics, each school could account for their dropouts in several ways.
He said the state is currently in the early stages of drafting school district polices regarding gathering these specific statistics.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
How Can I Buy If I Have A Home To Sell?
Take out equity loan on current home for down payment on another
By Dian Hymer
Inman News
The recent rise in interest rates is causing many homeowners who have outgrown their current home to seriously consider making a move. Some own a home that's too small; others have school-age children and want to move to a better school district. Whatever prompts the desire to move, the goal is the same: make the move before interest rates increase further.
One advantage of making a trade now while rates are still low is that you can afford a bigger or better home than might be possible when rates move higher. Also, lower rates make your home affordable to a larger pool of buyers, which can result in a faster sale and potentially a higher price. When interest rates rise it can dampen home sale activity, sometimes significantly.
The rationale for making a trade move now is a good one. Figuring out how to make it work is another matter. The question of whether to buy first or sell first plagues most repeat buyers. There are pros and cons to both approaches.
Buyers who sell first know exactly how much money they have for a new home. They also avoid the risk of owning two homes in a changing market. However, they don't know where they're going to live or when they'll find a suitable home to buy. In a worst-case scenario, they won't find a replacement home quickly enough and will have to move to an interim rental, which can be very inconvenient.
If you buy first, you know where you're going to live and when you can move. But, the financial risk is higher because you don't know what price you'll get for your old home, or how long it will take to sell. Nevertheless, most repeat buyers prefer to buy first than to sell first. The trick is to figure out how to make it happen if you need the equity from your current home to buy the next one.
Recently, a trade-up buyer used the following strategy effectively. She had enough cash in savings to make a $75,000 down payment, which was equal to 10 percent of the $750,000 purchase price. After consulting with her financial advisor she determined that she wanted to have a mortgage on the new place of no more than $450,000. So, she was short $225,000 until she liquidated the equity from her current home.
HOUSE HUNTING TIP: To make up for the shortfall, her real estate agent suggested that she apply for a $225,000 second mortgage on the new home that could be paid off as soon as her current home sold. For the second mortgage, her mortgage broker recommended a low-interest-rate adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) to keep her monthly payment as low as possible for the period of time that she owned two homes.
Although she preferred fixed-rate financing, it made sense to take advantage of the lower ARM payments for the short time that she'd keep the second loan. You must be able to qualify financially in order to use this strategy. And, if you do use this approach, make sure that the second mortgage doesn't have a prepayment penalty.
Some buy-first buyers put a home equity loan on the home they're selling to generate cash for a down payment if they don't have enough savings for a down payment and closing costs.
THE CLOSING: To minimize the risk of buying first, be realistic about the probable selling price of your current home. It's better to estimate on the low side and walk away with more cash than you expected than it is to be caught short of the money you need.
Dian Hymer is author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers," and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
By Dian Hymer
Inman News
The recent rise in interest rates is causing many homeowners who have outgrown their current home to seriously consider making a move. Some own a home that's too small; others have school-age children and want to move to a better school district. Whatever prompts the desire to move, the goal is the same: make the move before interest rates increase further.
One advantage of making a trade now while rates are still low is that you can afford a bigger or better home than might be possible when rates move higher. Also, lower rates make your home affordable to a larger pool of buyers, which can result in a faster sale and potentially a higher price. When interest rates rise it can dampen home sale activity, sometimes significantly.
The rationale for making a trade move now is a good one. Figuring out how to make it work is another matter. The question of whether to buy first or sell first plagues most repeat buyers. There are pros and cons to both approaches.
Buyers who sell first know exactly how much money they have for a new home. They also avoid the risk of owning two homes in a changing market. However, they don't know where they're going to live or when they'll find a suitable home to buy. In a worst-case scenario, they won't find a replacement home quickly enough and will have to move to an interim rental, which can be very inconvenient.
If you buy first, you know where you're going to live and when you can move. But, the financial risk is higher because you don't know what price you'll get for your old home, or how long it will take to sell. Nevertheless, most repeat buyers prefer to buy first than to sell first. The trick is to figure out how to make it happen if you need the equity from your current home to buy the next one.
Recently, a trade-up buyer used the following strategy effectively. She had enough cash in savings to make a $75,000 down payment, which was equal to 10 percent of the $750,000 purchase price. After consulting with her financial advisor she determined that she wanted to have a mortgage on the new place of no more than $450,000. So, she was short $225,000 until she liquidated the equity from her current home.
HOUSE HUNTING TIP: To make up for the shortfall, her real estate agent suggested that she apply for a $225,000 second mortgage on the new home that could be paid off as soon as her current home sold. For the second mortgage, her mortgage broker recommended a low-interest-rate adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) to keep her monthly payment as low as possible for the period of time that she owned two homes.
Although she preferred fixed-rate financing, it made sense to take advantage of the lower ARM payments for the short time that she'd keep the second loan. You must be able to qualify financially in order to use this strategy. And, if you do use this approach, make sure that the second mortgage doesn't have a prepayment penalty.
Some buy-first buyers put a home equity loan on the home they're selling to generate cash for a down payment if they don't have enough savings for a down payment and closing costs.
THE CLOSING: To minimize the risk of buying first, be realistic about the probable selling price of your current home. It's better to estimate on the low side and walk away with more cash than you expected than it is to be caught short of the money you need.
Dian Hymer is author of "House Hunting, The Take-Along Workbook for Home Buyers," and "Starting Out, The Complete Home Buyer's Guide," Chronicle Books
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
Gig Harbor Profile
Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Gig Harbor, Washington, was named by Captain Charles Wilkes, commander of the American Exploration Expedition of 1838-1842. Wilkes' crew was charting the area from a gig (a small boat) and a longboat when they sought shelter in the Gig Harbor Bay during a storm. The crew began calling our area "small harbor" and "gig harbor."
Things have changed slightly since the Expedition named our charming harbor. With a city population of 6,500 and growing, Gig Harbor boasts a vibrant economy with inviting accommodations, interesting shopping, scrumptious dining, colorful cultural arts, playful recreation, and diverse professional and personal services.
Gig Harbor is easy to get to. We're just a quick 45-minute drive to Sea-Tac International Airport and an hour from downtown Seattle. For a more scenic trip to the Emerald City, take the ferry from one of several loading stops - all within an hour's drive of Gig Harbor on the peninsula. The bustling city of Tacoma is just a few minutes drive across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. And, as the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, Gig Harbor is the perfect spot to plan your next trip to the rain forest, Victoria or any one of the wonderful communities between here and there.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
Gig Harbor, Washington, was named by Captain Charles Wilkes, commander of the American Exploration Expedition of 1838-1842. Wilkes' crew was charting the area from a gig (a small boat) and a longboat when they sought shelter in the Gig Harbor Bay during a storm. The crew began calling our area "small harbor" and "gig harbor."
Things have changed slightly since the Expedition named our charming harbor. With a city population of 6,500 and growing, Gig Harbor boasts a vibrant economy with inviting accommodations, interesting shopping, scrumptious dining, colorful cultural arts, playful recreation, and diverse professional and personal services.
Gig Harbor is easy to get to. We're just a quick 45-minute drive to Sea-Tac International Airport and an hour from downtown Seattle. For a more scenic trip to the Emerald City, take the ferry from one of several loading stops - all within an hour's drive of Gig Harbor on the peninsula. The bustling city of Tacoma is just a few minutes drive across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. And, as the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, Gig Harbor is the perfect spot to plan your next trip to the rain forest, Victoria or any one of the wonderful communities between here and there.
For all of your real estate needs, contact RE/MAX Executives professional REALTOR Teresa Rebo @ 253-732-5439 or via email at teresa@teresarebo.com
MAKE YOUR NEXT MOVE YOUR BEST MOVE....START BY CALLING TERESA! 253-732-5439
