FACT: Every day, 7,000 students drop out of high school in the U.S.
FACT: The U.S. ranks 22nd out of 27 developed countries in graduation rates.
FACT:  A high school dropout will earn $200,000 less than a high school graduate over his lifetime and almost a million dollars less than a college graduate.
FACT: In the U.S., high school dropouts commit about 75% of crimes.
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-high-school-dropout-rates ;

At age 16, a child cannot vote, get a driver’s license, drink alcohol, get married, obtain a credit card, get a passport, enlist in the military, obtain a loan – car or otherwise, rent a car, get a body piercing, rent a hotel room, purchase or own a firearm, donate blood, gamble (in most states), open a checking account, rent an apartment/house, or a myriad of other things without their parents permission. That’s because a minor (18 is the federal minimum age) cannot be bound by a legally binding agreement. Yet many states still allow children to make this #1 major lifetime decision based on emotion, unclear thinking, and solid planning for their future: to drop out of school at age 16, 17, or without completing high school or at least obtaining a GED.

Latest statistics  show that for school year 2011–12, “some 3.1 million public high school students, or 81 percent, graduated on time with a regular diploma. Among all public high school students, Asians/Pacific Islanders had the highest graduation rate (93 percent), followed by Whites (85 percent), Hispanics (76 percent), and American Indians/Alaska Natives and Blacks (68 percent each).” http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_coi.asp

Likely the least expensive federal law to pass - requiring children to remain in school until age 18, high school graduation, or passing a graduation equivalency exam -- it is because school buildings already exist, curriculums are developed,  equipment and materials are purchased, teachers are hired — all that remains are the students needed to fill the seats. And if children stay in school, they’re more likely after graduation to get a job (many states won’t let dropouts work during school hours), make more money, stay out of trouble, and become contributing members of society. The National Education Association, the main teachers' union in the United States, advocates requiring students to earn a high school diploma or stay in school until age 21.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics 2014, Taxpayers pay huge amounts of money by providing public assistance for drop-outs in the form of “Welfare,” “WIC,” “Food stamps”, and other programs where the states help purchase food, shelter, and clothing. This is more likely even than for high school graduates who don’t attend. college.http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2014/2014083.pdf

Should we continue to allow children to make this life-impacting decision, The Bureau of Labor Statistics does promise them something: the highest unemployment rate, lowest median weekly earnings, and the likelihood that they will commit a crime.http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm ;

If this is what you want your future or the future of your children to look like, DON’T sign this petition. But if you ARE concerned about the future of our country, feel strongly that every child has innate worth and contributing value, and that you want a federal law mandating children attend school until at least 18 years of age, graduation from high school, or until obtaining a GED, PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION AND GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO SIGN IT. The future of our country - and our children - depends on it.

For more information: 2014 Education Status of the United States  http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/United%20States-EAG2014-Country-Note.pdf