Free Public High Schools Are Expensive

Abstract

T ODAY, more than ever before, the completion of secondary education is looked upon as a necessity for the boy or girl who hopes to gain economic independence and become a contributing member of society. Young people who drop out of high school short of graduation encounter a barrier to employment and promotion. It is clear that, in our free public schools, no economic factor should cause children to leave school so long as they can profit by attendance. However, it has long been known, through the work of Counts1 and many subsequent investigations, that the public high school is somewhat selective on an economic basis. Pupils from the higher economic levels are more likely to remain in school than are those from lower levels. Those persons in greatest need of secondary education seem to be the ones most liable to premature elimination. Few high schools have met the problem of hidden costs-those expenses which embarrass the penniless student, impoverish his school experience, and often lead to his untimely withdrawal.