Saving kids serves community

Pay now or pay a lot more later. When it comes to high school dropouts, that seems to be the bottom line.

The research says that dropouts are more likely to end up in jail and more likely to cost taxpayers money in other ways such as social services and lost tax revenues. For example, a report commissioned a year ago in part by the National Urban League put the cost of each dropout at $292,000 over his/her working lifetime.

How much are we being asked to invest? For a home worth $100,000, we’re talking about 35 bucks a year. The money would go to four target areas that are supported by the research: early childhood learning, child abuse prevention, mentoring and after-school programs.

For example, a study published in 2005 by HighScope Educational Research Foundation found that low-income children who did not receive preschool were five times more likely to become chronic lawbreakers as adults.

The research is clear that dropouts are costing us. The research is also clear that we can do something about it. It’s time to make an investment in the future, and establishing the Children’s Investment Fund is a good investment indeed.

Jody R. Shapiro

Spokane