A Closer Look at Job Corps and the Flint Hills
Numbers are important, but so is context
On May 29th, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced its decision to shutter all Job Corps campuses, dismantling the 61 year old institution established by President Lyndon B. Johnson in his effort to alleviate poverty. This order impacts the Flint Hills Job Corps based in Manhattan, KS.
Stories When Told by Numbers
Each Job Corps center is annually evaluated through the Outcome Measurement System (OMS) Center Score Report, which was previously public but has since been removed from the DOL website. The former link to the reports now redirects to a generic landing page about what students might consider to do with their lives now that Job Corps is no longer an opportunity. Data.gov, the official federal government open data website, now has OMS datasets labelled as “restricted” from public view. The regime’s censorship of government information serves to erode American democracy, preventing public transparency and accountability.
Open access to data is important because numbers and statistics can be used to paint many different stories, depending on what data we include or exclude. Local reporters parroted the misleading and intentionally unflattering statistics offered by the regime, repeating propaganda points rather than reporting on reality.
By definition, disinformation is “deliberately misleading information announced publicly or leaked by a government or especially by an intelligence agency in order to influence public opinion or the government in another nation.” The National Job Corps Association offered corrections to the DOL’s press release using previously saved information and/or data which has not been taken down yet. Let’s compare with the disinformation being disseminated in Manhattan:
“The decision follows the April release of the Job Corps transparency report, which found the overall graduation rate was just 38.6%,”
Historically, Job Corps graduation rates have been above 60%.
“while the total cost per graduate totaled $155,600.”
A report during the first Trump administration indicated the cost per graduate was $57,312. The budget appropriated to Job Corps by Congress has remained flat. However, enrollment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels after COVID-19 forced centers to close. With fewer students having been served in those years lost, the cost per-graduate can appear as though it has tripled.
“Average annual earnings for graduates after they leave the program is just under $17,000.”
Job Corps graduates obtained employment which averaged around $31,000 annually, exceeding the wage goals set by DOL in PY 2023.
“The decision also aligns with President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal and federal officials have said the program costs taxpayers $1.7 billion annually.”
$1.7 billion a year is less than .03% of the United States’ budget. Not even 1 full percent of the budget.
“According to the Labor Department, Job Corps operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024, and is projected to reach $213 million in 2025.”
How much money are our schools supposed to make? Homeless young adults, children aging out of the foster care system, veterans, and victims of severe human trafficking are automatically eligible for the program. Otherwise, Job Corps students must be near the federal poverty line, to obtain admission to the program.
“There are currently fewer than 25,000 students enrolled in Job Corps programs across the country.”
The DOL halted enrollments to Job Corps in March, tossing out more than 13,000 applications from teens and young adults seeking to better their lives.
“The Job Corps transparency report also found over 14,000 serious incident reports were filed in 2023 at Job Corps locations nationwide, including 372 instances of inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual assaults, 1,764 acts of violence, 1,167 breaches of safety or security, 2,702 reports of drug use and 1,808 hospital visits.”
DOL reporting requirements on “serious incidents” include: power outages, inclement weather, athletic injuries that require treatment, failing a drug test, and adult students leaving campus without prior approval.
A Ripple Effect on Communities
Ultimately, Manhattan has lost a $33 million project. Regardless of how you choose to interpret the data, the reality is that more than 100 of our neighbors in the Manhattan area are now suddenly unemployed. At least 10 young adults could become homeless once evicted from their dorms. Manhattan’s social services system is already stretched thin. Our emergency shelters are at capacity. Poverty will only get worse.
“If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t haggle over your garden hose.” - Josh Lyman in “The West Wing”
To protect our community, check out SaveJobCorps. Write and call our elected officials. This loss is going to be felt for generations.