Gazette opinion: Montana law should stop encouraging 16-year-old dropouts

Thirty-one states, including Alaska, Colorado, South Dakota, Washington and Oregon, have laws requiring teens to stay in school till age 17 or 18.

Montana is among the minority of states that allow students to legally drop out at 16.

Perhaps stopping one’s education at age 16 was reasonable when the Montana law was enacted in 1921. But it makes no sense in 2010.

Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau has made boosting high school graduation rates a priority. Working with local schools, other community members and the Montana University System, she has launched a project called Graduation Matters Montana to encourage youth to stay in school and to remove obstacles that lead to dropping out.

Juneau also plans to ask the 2011 Legislature to raise Montana’s legal dropout age to 17, or upon graduation or passing a GED test — whichever happens first.

This is a no-brainer. Every Montanan needs a high school education, and most of us will need some post-secondary education to get good jobs.

Full Story: http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion/article_70e83533-12c0-54fa-b2a2-2cde8c084090.html