School Board’s Association Doesn’t Want High School Students to Drop the Ball by Dropping Out

Students planning to ditch classes for good might have to ditch that idea. Brent Gahn with the School Board’s Association says the board’s got a new plan of it’s own: a push to boost the minimum age for dropouts to 18. Gahn thinks a higher age requirement for dropouts will lead to more students with diplomas. He says more students with high school diplomas will reap more success in the job world – though he can’t confirm whether the bump would in fact keep more students from dropping out of school. The current minimum age for students to drop out of school is 16. The board wants to find a sponsor for the initiative in the next legislative session. Gahn points out Missouri is one of 26 states where 16 is the minimum age for dropouts while the other states have limits of 17 or 18.