Though everyone knows there is a big gap in earning potential for high school drop outs how big when compared to other countries was highlighted in the "Education at Glance" report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The report noted that in the US adults who do not finish high school on the average earn 65% less than those who do. Internationally, the US has the largest percentage difference than other industrialized countries.Click on U.S. high school dropouts see big pay gap to read more about this MSNBC news story. As noted in the story "The findings underscore the cost of a persistent dropout problem in the United States."

I was reading the article referenced in your post and it said that the United States spends an average of $12,023 per student elem through college??? I went on the web and found that in 2001-2002, the average expenditure was $7,500 per pupil, per YEAR. I was always in the $4,000 to $5,000 range at the schools where I was the administrator. The article referenced Washington DC with a per pupil expenditure of over $12,000 and Utah at $4,000+ as the extremes. My comment to provoke further thought: I wonder if states take the greatest pride in having the lowest per pupil expenditure, the highest per pupil expenditure, the fewest dropouts, or the highest student performance scores? If indeed it is the highest student performance scores or the lowest dropout rate, what are states willing to pay for that sense of pride?

Gary, I bet when you add in the college years that per year number jumps from $4,000 to 5,000 to closer to $12,000.  Especially if they include the costs of living on-campus in the college years.  The increased costs of private schools were probably also included in that number.