Dropout age goes to 18: What does it mean?

The passage of Senate Bill 18 marked a new day for education in the State of New Hampshire. A signature piece of legislation called for by Gov. John Lynch changed the dropout age in New Hampshire from 16 to 18.

“Today a high school diploma is the minimum price of admission for most jobs," Lynch stated in his 2007 inaugural address. "Yet 20 percent of our young people are dropping out of high school. These young people will not have the opportunities they deserve. Half a high school education is no longer enough. That is why we must increase our compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18. In my budget, I will propose the funding necessary to expand alternative learning programs, including technical education, internships and night school, to help students who do not do well in traditional classroom settings. Together, we will make it possible for every child in New Hampshire to graduate from high school.”