Comment from the contributor:

From Wall Street Journal -- Although the biggest problem in the US seems to be the economic crisis, a persistently high dropout rate also increases the threat to the country's strength and prosperity.

“ The longstanding American dropout problem may be especially thorny now, with a looming recession. Cutting the number of dropouts in half would generate $45 billion annually in new tax revenue, according to America's Promise -- assuming there are ultimately enough jobs to accommodate the graduates. ”