MCCOY

Goal

By the end of the 2014-2015 school year, the high school graduation rate in Marion County will increase to 80%.

Vision

In Marion County, all students will graduate from high school with the education and resources needed to reach their full potential as an individual, community member and contributing citizen.

Why is the drop-out prevention effort so important?

Research tells us that students who drop-out of school put themselves at a long-term disadvantage in becoming productive citizens. The high school drop-out rate directly correlates with many societal problems such as crime, poverty and health care. High school drop-outs are three times more likely to be unemployed, four times more likely to receive government assistance and eight times more likely to be incarcerated. Research shows that individuals that have dropped out of high school have poorer health. This is mainly due to less insurance coverage, no health coverage and the lack of knowledge and economic resources to lead a healthy lifestyle. For every high school student in Indiana that graduates, the state saves $12,727 in Medicaid and uninsured care over the course of the individual's lifetime.

Only 73.8 percent of students in Marion County graduated from high school last year making it the second highest drop-out rate in the country. The high school drop-out rate is not simply the concern of the student, the family or even the school system; it is a community-wide issue.