Drop out rate up sharply in Johnston County

The high school drop out rate has risen some 24% here in Johnston County. I don't know if this is because of the ever increasing population of illegal aliens here (usually Hispanic) or what. I do know that schools are getting easier, not harder. There are many things not taught when I was in school, such as a greater emphasis on computer skills. However, the basics, formerly referred to as the "3 R's" are not taught as fervently as before.

According to the report I read on WMPM's news site, the largest percentage of drop outs by ethnicity is of American Indians, with Hispanic being next. The problem with that concept is that they are far fewer in number. Therefore, any small number of Indians dropping out would yield a high percentage for that ethnic group. If you only have five Indians in the school system and one drops out, the you have a 20% Indian drop out rate. By comparison, we have a high number of Hispanics and Blacks, who according to the statistics, are the next two groups in percentage portion. 100 dropping out of several thousand is a much smaller percentage, but a higher number total. The story does not release actual numbers. It would be interesting to see the reality of the figures.

Dropout Rate Climbs In Johnston County - After a three year decline in the dropout rate, Johnston County Schools saw more students quit school last year. The Annual Drop Out Report, released by the NC Department of Public Instruction on Wednesday, showed the upward trend was statewide. Across North Carolina , the drop out rate increased to 5.04 percent during the 2005-06 school year, an increase of 6.3%. In Johnston County , 404 students (5.01%) dropped out of high school last year, compared to 325 students (4.46%) the year before. That is equivalent to a 24.3 percent increase. The increase of male students dropping out was double that of females. American Indians had the highest number of drop outs based on ethnicity, followed by Hispanics and African Americans across the state, according to the report.