High School Dropouts: A Costly Legacy

The continued trend of high school dropouts in our public schools has placed South Carolina and the United States, in a precarious position for it’s policy in dealing with what will be a costly legacy.

There are a number of organizations that examine and report on dropout rates. The most recent data analysis indicates the cohort graduation rate of the class of 2007 was 55.87 percent. For 2006 the percentage was 50.43 and for 2005–48.71. Between 2004 and 2007, South Carolina has averaged graduating only 51.7 percent of those who enter the ninth grade on time.