STUDY: DROPOUTS CREATE FINANCIAL LOSS FOR AREA

Those Southeast Missourians without a high school degree are losing out financially, a study has found.

Nearly 40 percent of the region's residents, 25 years and older, dropped out of high school.

That is worse than both the state and national averages.

In this region, 62.3 percent of the adults have high school diplomas. In contrast, the figure is 73.9 percent statewide and 75.2 percent nationwide.

In 17 of the 24 Southeast Missouri counties, more than 40 percent of adults didn't finish high school.

There is a bleak economic lesson to all this, a Southeast Missouri State University study says.

The loss in personal income in the 24-county region was more than $428 million in 1991.

For every percentage point increase in the high school dropout rate, per capita personal income falls by $52, the study said.

"It is an eye opener," said Dr. Bruce Domazlicky, an economics professor at Southeast who conducted the study last fall with the aid of economics club students.

Dr. Dale Nitzschke, Southeast president, disclosed the study Wednesday.

He said the university needs to work with public school districts to keep students from dropping out.

"There is a very high dropout rate and it is very sad," he said.

Nitzschke said the university might convene an economic summit to address the issue.

Domazlicky said the university could enroll more students from the region if more people finished high school.

The study was based largely on 1990 Census data. But the economics professor said he doesn't believe the numbers have changed much over the past few years.

Southeast Missouri lags behind the state in economic performance, the study said.

Per capita personal income is significantly lower, and the rates of unemployment and poverty are higher than in the rest of the state, the study said.

Per capita income in the region averaged less than $15,000 in 1991 compared to nearly $19,000 statewide.

The only bright spot was in Cape Girardeau County where 1990 Census figures showed 74.4 percent of adults had graduated from high school.

The rate was better than the state average. As a result, Cape Girardeau County experienced a $1.6 million economic gain, the study said.

The other 23 counties showed economic losses.