State Students Missed in 2000 U.S. Census Tally

Census tract 051100, which encompasses the N.C. State University campus and Central Prison in Raleigh, is 5,804 people shy of the area's 1990 Census totals. The 2000 Census reported 1,388 people in the tract. In 1990, 7,192 people were reported in tract 051100.

But no one seems to be able to explain the substantial decrease in reported population.

"(The census results) could be misplaced or something," said Maja Vouk, Wake County's demographer. "It's just too early to tell."

But Jerry Stahl, U.S. Census regional spokesman, attributed the decline to students failing to participate in the census.

"It's a misunderstanding by the census and ignorance by the students to not know where they are being counted," Stahl said."Students believe their parents are counting them, when they aren't."

Stahl said the Census Bureau followed correct procedures in the 051100 tract by sending questionnaires to local dwellings. When there was no response, he said the bureau took efforts a step further by sending enumerators door-to-door to count people.

Stahl said the bureau even asked residential assistants for numbers of inhabitants in college dormitories.

Stahl said the census results should have included "group quarters," such as university housing and the prison, but results from these areas were abnormally low.

Only Raleigh mayor Paul Coble has the power to contest the census results. Coble could not be reached for comment Monday.

Cindy Szwarckop, Raleigh's demographer, would not comment on whether Coble would contest the results but said she wasn't convinced that the bureau went far enough to solicit an accurate count.

"They probably didn't follow up after the initial questionnaire," she said. "I fear the students just didn't return the forms."

But both the Census Bureau and Szwarckop said that, as of now, there would be no re-count.

"The count is the count," Stahl said. "If there are high errors then we will have nine years to correct them."

Szwarckop said N.C. State was not the only university to be miscounted. She also named possible undercounts at Meredith College, Shaw University and St. Augustine's College.

Szwarckop also said N.C. State could face a funding decrease because of the low census count, which could cut programs from the university.

But Tom Stafford, N.C. State's vice chancellor for student affairs, did not foresee any potential funding cuts.

"I can't imagine how there will be any impact on funding from the census."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.