Approximately 25 percent of Greenville County students fail
to graduate from high school within four years. Studies show when students drop
out of high school, their prospects for the future are greatly dimmed without a
degree.
The average annual salary of a dropout is $9,200 less than
for a high school graduate.
Dropouts in Greenville County are twice as likely to be
unemployed.
Dropouts in Greenville County are 2.5 times more likely to
live in poverty.
Dropouts have a life expectancy that is 9.2 years shorter
than that of a graduate.
And the failure to graduate affects more than just one
student’s chance at a healthy, productive life. It also negatively affects the
community at large, which must pick up the tab for increased public services
charged to high school dropouts.
High school dropouts are 3.5 times more likely than high
school graduates to be arrested and 8 times more likely to be in jail or
prison.
It costs more than twice as much per year to incarcerate a prisoner in
our state ($13,590) and in our county ($17,213) than to educate a student in
Greenville County ($6,498).
The number of jobs requiring education beyond high school is
growing twice as fast as jobs that only require on-the-job training.
40 percent of dropouts receive some type of government
assistance.
The Solution
We believe all Greenville County youth should have the best
possible opportunity to succeed in high school so they can live a healthy,
productive life. But the benefits don’t end there. Increasing the graduation rate will reduce the long-term social costs to our
community of crime, incarceration, drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy,
unemployment, poverty and welfare dependency. Producing more high school
graduates will also improve our community’s economic competitiveness with other
regions by reducing the costs of re-education and job training, and improving
our ability to attract and keep talented people and high-paying jobs in
Greenville County.
The Goal
We will increase the high school graduation
rate from its current level of 73 percent to 85 percent by 2018.
To realize our vision that all youth graduate high school,
we must ensure:
A coordinated system of quality afterschool programs and
activities is available to the community.
An effective afterschool quality rating system is
implemented.
Quality support services are available and being utilized by
parents, children and families
Strategies proven to increase graduation rates are
instituted in the high schools with most need.
How We Get There
United Way of Greenville County will:
Develop an After School Strategic Initiative, establishing a
local network of high quality programs and future implementation of a quality
rating improvement system.
Identify the best, proven strategies and implement them the
highest risk areas.
Create a system to support the education of teen mothers and
their children, including parenting skills and life skills education, as well
as identify other barriers to high school success.
Increase support for early reading and intervention programs.
Advocate for legislation, policies and community practices
that support the vision.
How You Can Help
Contact your local, state and national elected officials.
Explain the problem. Ask them to support and promote policies on the local,
state and national level that will increase graduation rates and subsequent
entry into post-secondary education or work training to become gainfully
employed.
One voice, your voice, can make a difference.
Elected officials love to hear from their constituents. Reach out and contact:
