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Increase in high school graduation rate can only help our country

In what is admittedly an increasingly rare occurrence, we were glad to hear something President Barack Obama announced Monday – that our country’s high school graduation rate has reached an all-time high of 83.2 percent.

And the news gets better.

Graduation rates (from the 2010-11 school year through the 2014-15 school year) are up among just about all racial groups, including white, black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native. The rates have also increased for low-income students, those for whom English is not their first language and students with disabilities.

It’s no secret that education has always been the best path to success, and that is true now more than ever. The number of available jobs that do not require a high school diploma or a GED is quickly shrinking. The future of our economy and our nation is dependent upon having enough educated workers.

The benefits to society are also more than just economic. A better-educated citizenry is more likely to be a well-informed citizenry, which means that people will be in a great position to know what is going on in their local, county, state and national governments and can make educated decisions at the voting booth.

We applaud the vast majority of America’s young adults who have made the commitment to finish high school. Your decision to get an education will undoubtedly pay dividends for society in the future.

We also urge those still in school to understand how important getting that diploma is to your future. Your ability to live a fruitful, productive life could very well depend on it.

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