Legislative Agenda
MEA supports raising dropout age to 18
The MEA supports Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s call for legislators to raise the school dropout age from 16 to 18.
In her State of the State address, Granholm urged lawmakers to support bills introduced by Sen. Liz Brater (DAnn Arbor) and Rep. LaMar Lemmons (D-Detroit) to raise the compulsory school attendance age.
Michigan adopted the law making 16 the dropout age in 1895 when most jobs didn’t require additional education.
In today’s global economy, students have little chance to succeed without earning a high school diploma and continuing their education beyond high school.
Education is the key to building the world class workforce that will be needed to revive Michigan’s economy.
The nation’s school dropout rate—some 30 percent of high school students leave without a diploma—has reached crisis proportions. Michigan’s graduation rate is listed at 87.7 percent, according to data compiled for the Michigan Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, however, lists the Michigan graduation rate at 71.5 percent. The difference comes in the way the rate is calculated, researchers say.
The National Education Association last fall announced a dramatic 12-point plan to address the nation’s “silent epidemic.”
NEA’s dropout plan involves proven strategies, ranging from high-quality, universal preschool and all-day kindergarten to special high school graduation centers for older students who are hesitant to stay in school with younger students.
The NEA plan targets parent, clergy, business and community involvement as keys to reducing the dropout rate.
High dropout rates have a major negative impact on the economy and society, NEA says.
• A high school dropout earns about $260,000 less over his or her lifetime than a high school graduate and pays about $60,000 less in taxes.
• Annual losses exceed $50 billion in federal and state income taxes for all 23 million of the nation’s high school dropouts ages 18 to 67.
• High school dropouts are 72 percent more likely to be unemployed compared to high school graduates.
• Nearly 80 percent of individuals in prison do not have a high school diploma.