But the article points to how much we don't know. State statistics show that the dropout rate is nearly 15 percent, higher among blacks and Hispanics, while other studies question the state's counting system and put the rate above 30 percent. A study of big city schools by State Senator Gonzalos Barrientos, a Democrat, found that more incoming ninth graders dropped out than graduated on time. Education officials disputed these findings and said the state began a program to track dropouts in 1998. The program will not become known until 2003.
Education is high on voter checklists.
Again, we're not big fans of bashing Govs for the way their ed departments function. But Bush has touted his focus on education, and the issues raised by the Texas schools have relevance all over the country. These students, the lawsuit argued, often became dropouts. Anyone familiar with public schooling should know how risky such practices are. They hold kids back to affect future scores.