Delaware lawmakers are reviving efforts to keep kids from dropping out of school before they’re adults.
Right now, state code allows students over 16-years-old to withdraw from the classroom if they choose to without repercussions.
Rep. Debra Heffernan’s (D-Brandywine Hundred South) bill would gradually increase that age to 18 over two years.
“The cost to having kids that don’t graduate high school and then become either underemployed or unemployed and much more dependent on state resources is much higher," Heffernan said.
The legislation does allow for 16-year-olds to come up with an alternative education plan with their school principal and a parent or guardian that must be approved by the district superintendent.
Raising the age to 18 is something Heffernan says she hopes will act as a deterrent for younger children who may view dropping out as a good option.
“Kids at elementary and even middle school, once they know that you can’t just drop out at 16, I think that’ll help.”
Delaware’s current dropout rate stands at 2.1 percent of all students, though minority rates are higher according to the latest Kids Count survey from the University of Delaware.
Heffernan introduced a similar bill in 2012 that was blocked in a House committee.
A legislative analysis at the time pegged the cost to the state at $2.2 million for this past fiscal year if it would’ve become law. She says a new review is underway and expects it to cost less.
The National Center for Education Statistics shows 24 other states and the District of Columbia requiring school attendance until kids turn 18.