"Cause I hate school." "I'm flunking anyway." "I have to work." "I'm getting married." These statements are some of the reasons students are using to drop out. Other reasons may be illness, armed forces, court actions, misconduct, or just a lack of interest. However, according to Mr. Merlin Schultz, coordinator of pupil personnel services, "Many of the factors leading to dropping out of school in the first place, economic necessity, lack of interest, poor grades, exert just as strong an influence against returning to school."

Mr. Schultz's study of dropouts last year showed a national dropout rate of 30 per cent. In Illinois the rate is 25 per cent. Maine district, which includes all three Maine schools, has a 2.8 per cent of students dropping out, which is 286 out of 10,133, as compared with a three per cent dropout rate in the other suburban schools.

Most students leave between their sophomore and junior years. In the '68‑'69 school year, 95 seniors dropped out, 81 juniors, 84 sophomores, and 26 freshman. The dropout rate has an average of six boys to every four girls.

After a person drops out, a letter is sent to him or her, asking what they have done. The answers are mainly working, night school, or that no plans have been made yet.

Before a student may drop out, the counselor must be notified. If the counselor or dean fails to change the student's mind, and the parents have given their approval, the student then may leave.

Most students who drop out say they have no intention of returning to school. However, out of 286 students who dropped out, in the Maine district, 62 of them returned the next fall.

Miss Mae Jean Engen, dean of girls, states, "I would never recommend a student to drop out. If I didn't think high school was important, I obviously wouldn't be here. There is, perhaps, a time when it would be better for a student to leave school for a while. But I never would recommend to a student to drop out completely."

According to Mr. Schultz's report, prevention lies in 1) closer personal contact between students; 2) evaluating academic progress that lessens the possibility of destroying self‑esteem;

3) flexible scheduling or flexible school hours; 4) personality and motivation aspects, as well as intelligence, should be taken into consideration; 5) remedial work; and finally, 6) a total community development.