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5/2/2005
According to an April 29, 2005 Daily Herald (Chicago suburbs) article, an individual who drops out of high school should anticipate lifetime earnings that are, on average, $300,000 less than for those who earn a diploma. In Illinois, approximately 33% of all teenage high school dropouts are unemployed. These findings are based on information from the Chicago-based Alternative Schools Network, a not-for-profit organization that provides services for at-risk youth. The group supports adding money to the state education budget that would be used for programs encouraging dropouts to return to high school. Advocates of such programs believe that spending money now to help students earn their diplomas is a wise investment, because high school graduates are likely to contribute more to the future state economy via taxes, as well as less likely to require government assistance.
The article is available at the Daily Herald Web site.
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