Maryland is considering upping the age in which students can drop out of high school from 16 to 17, according to a story in the Washington Post.

My initial reaction was why is this even a consideration? Of course, we should insist that students stay in school! But apparently some legislators oppose it because there is a budget crisis and they don’t want to keep supporting kids who no longer want to attend class.

Senators debated whether keeping teenagers in school longer should be a priority in a year when the state's economy is slowing and its budget is being cut. Some suggested that the state would be more effective at stimulating a student's interest in learning by intervening with more resources at a much younger age.

Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George's) called the decision on whether to raise the mandatory attendance age a "tough issue," given the high dropout rate. But he said teenagers are "getting smarter today than they were" and may have "maxed out with what is taught in school" by the time they are 16.

Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles) said the legislature should devote more resources to general equivalency diploma programs for students who quit school but take classes toward a high school diploma.
"I have concern we're spending money on kids that want to get out of school," said Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-Somerset).

Almost 10,300 Maryland students dropped out of public schools last year, with Baltimore in the lead, according to a legislative analysis. Prince George's followed, losing 1,838 students, or 6.2 percent of the total, and Montgomery was next, with 1,342 dropouts or 5.2 percent of its student body.