BY KEVIN SHALVEY
For Bedford High School, the new law requiring all students to attend until they are 18 years old will be in effect from the school’s inception, and programs will be offered to help struggling students.
“A 17-year-old who’s thinking about dropping out is a 17-year-old who’s in need of some extra support,” said Chip McGee, assistant superintendent.
On Tuesday, June 26, Gov. John Lynch signed into law legislation to raise the compulsory high school attendance age to 18. Since 1903, the legal age to drop out had been 16 years old.
“Today, we are taking a significant step toward helping more of New Hampshire’s young people graduate from high school, which will give them the opportunities they deserve for better lives,” said Lynch in a statement.
Now that the law has been passed, the most important thing is to make sure all students at Bedford High School are given the classes and support they need, McGee said.
“We need to be flexible so kids have different ways of meeting our competencies,” he said.
The high school will open its doors to freshmen and sophomore classes in September 2007.
Ian Hagan, who will be a sophomore at Bedford High School in the fall, said this law will benefit students, not only because more will get a diploma, but because they’ll learn more.
“It will just be better for them to stay there longer, because they’ll learn something even if they’re not trying to,” he said.
Diane Klos said her daughter, Cathy, 16, will be a junior at Manchester High School West next year.
She’ll be in the last class of Bedford students to go through that school.
“I think it’s good for them, based on what my daughter tells me about West students dropping out,” she said.
Students should stay to graduate, she said.
“If they have the idea that they can get out of school when they’re 16, then some of them will,” said Klos.
John Nutter has three grandchildren in high school – two will be seniors at West in the fall, the other will be a sophomore at Bedford High School.
“I’m all in favor of (the law),” he said. “I just think the kids are too immature at age 16. Some of them are too immature at 18.”
Resident Louis Rouleau also said he’s in favor of the law.
“That’s a good idea,” he said.