yranaivo@journalnet.com

BOISE - Sen. Dick Sagness has yet to see further details on proposed legislation that would raise the high school drop-out age, but said he agrees with the pitch.

"Conceptually, I agree with it," said Sagness, a Pocatello Democrat and member on the state Senate's education committee. "There's just too many students that are dropping out. They reach age 16, and they know they can drop out. And then they do."

Earlier this week, Meridian lawmaker Rep. Rich Jarvis began pushing for legislation that would raise the dropout age from 16 to 18.

Sagness said he is familiar with school dropout laws, adding that raising the age bar will do more than just reduce the state's high school dropout rate.

Sagness, a former dean with Idaho State University's College of Education, said the state cannot afford to lose more educated youth who could effectively contribute to the workforce and help rebuild the economy.

"In today's world, it's also a burden for society," he said. "Because the odds are that they won't be successful, and it also increases the odds that they may get in trouble with the law. It's an unfortunate circumstance for the individual."

And having young persons in prison is a disadvantage for Idaho, Sagness said.

"It saves us money in the long run anyway (because) they end up being productive and paying taxes," he said.

Sagness, though, said the proposal doesn't seem to have gathered much steam yet.

He said there might be debates about the costs associated with the legislation.

Sagness said he is not exactly sure how local districts fund their schools, but believes administrators budget a certain amount of money for each attending student.

He said the school districts lose dollars each time a student drops out because the money that was budgeted for that one student doesn't return to the school.

"(Repaying the school districts for the money spent on a student who dropped out) is the kind of cost that (the Legislature) should want to assume," Sagness said.