[robertpaulsen]

The kids are dropping out because they're entering high school with a 4th grade education and no ability to read.

I'd drop out rather than submit to that humiliation.

[cinives]

Thank you. You have, IMO, a very accurate view of the situation.

More money is useless in any grade unless the kid is equipped to make use of it. If the kids are taught by incompetent teachers using crap curriculum in K-3rd grade, and reach 4th grade without good reading and grammatical skills, they may as well just quit until they learn to read properly.