Speaker says Nebraska would benefit economically if more students stayed in school
More Nebraska youths must graduate from high school and then enroll and succeed in college if the state is to reach its potential economically, those attending the Diversity in Education Conference at Chadron State College were told Thursday afternoon. The speaker was Dr. Marshall Hill, executive director of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. He said the state’s population dynamics are changing, challenging the education system to also change and make sure more stu
“We can no longer do business as usual and not really care if students drop out of high school,” Hill said. “It is becoming more and more important that they remain in school and go on to receive some type of postsecondary education. Everyone needs special training so he and she will have the tools to succeed in the workplace.”
Minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population and have by far the greatest dropout rates, Hill said. He said Nebraska’s population increased by 8.4 percent from 1990 to 2000 with non-whites accounting for 74 percent of the growth.
But while 88.8 percent of the White students graduate from high school in Nebraska, fewer than 60 percent of the Black, Hispanic and American Indian students graduate.
Additional data Hill presented showed that while nearly 60 percent of the white students graduating from high school enroll in college, only from 30 to 35 percent of the minority students enroll. He also said some 29 percent of the White students graduate from college while just 11 percent of the Hispanic students and 8 percent of the Black and Indian students earn a college degree.
Hill said one study indicates that if the college graduation rates by the minorities could be improved to match those of White students, the spending power of the state’s population would grow by $520 million annually by 2016.
He also cited a study from Texas, where he worked for 11 years before coming to Nebraska eight months ago. It revealed that for every dollar invested in education, there is a $5.75 return to the state’s economy.
The speaker added that the consequences of high drop out rates are costly. He said they include higher crime rates and increased Medicaid and social services expenditures.
The drop out rates are generally highest in the most populous portions of the state. Eleven counties in Nebraska account for 55 percent of the student population in grades 7 through 12, and had 88 percent of the high school dropouts in 2002-03, Hill noted.
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