Minnesota economy would be billions of dollars stronger with more high school grads
The Alliance for Excellent Education, a group out of Washington,
estimates that if the 13,999 nongraduates projected for the Class of
2009 in Minnesota would earn their high school diploma instead of
leaving school without one, the group over their lifetimes would earn
billions of dollars of additional income.
by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol Reporter
The Alliance for Excellent Education, a group out of Washington,
estimates that if the 13,999 nongraduates projected for the Class of
2009 in Minnesota would earn their high school diploma instead of
leaving school without one, the group over their lifetimes would earn
billions of dollars of additional income.
According to the group's statistics, while Minnesota, with an
estimated high school graduation rate of about 79 percent for the
2005-2006 school year, has one of the highest graduation rates in the
nation, several other states, including Wisconsin, had more graduates
that school year.
The United States would save each year about $8 billion to $11
billion by improving education attainment in families currently
receiving food stamps and housing assistance, the group estimates.
A high school drop out contributes about $60,000 less in taxes over a lifetime that someone with a sheepskin.
The average income for a high school drop out is $17,299 ? average
income for a high school graduate is about $10,000 more, according to
national statistics.
Additionally, high school drop outs are suffering the highest
unemployment rates of anyone during the current recession, seeing about
15 percent unemployment as opposed to about 9 percent for high school
graduates.
Nationally only about half of black students will graduate on time
with a regular diploma, according to the Alliance. Hispanic students do
slightly better, but both ethnic groups lag behind Asian and white
students who graduate at 79 percent and 76 percent, respectively.
Wealth matters.
A high school student from a poor family is six times more likely to
drop out of school than a student from a high income family, according
to the Alliance.
The Alliance argues that better high schools, lower drop out rates,
will better society and redeem the tremendous amount of human potential
currently lost.
