House Approves Dropout Bill

The Kentucky House has again agreed to raise the age at which students may drop out of school.  It’s the third time the House has voted that way.When Governor Beshear called a special session to balance the Medicaid budget, he also placed raising the state’s drop out age to 18 on the agenda. The House has twice approved the bill, only to see if die in the Senate. Representative Jeff Greer of Brandenburg is the primary sponsor.“If you do not have a high school diploma, you’re going to earn $6,800 less than a high school graduate annually. Lifetime earnings – one without a high school diploma will earn $327,000 less than one with a high school diploma," he says.But opponents argue the bill is an unfunded mandate that does not provide school districts with any money for alternative school programs. On its third try, the bill passed the House 87-13, and heads to the Senate