A report released Tuesday spells trouble for the economic future of this country in an indirect way. According to the report, 17 of the nation&8217;s 50 largest cities have high school graduation rates lower than 50 percent.

Nationwide, the graduation rate is about 70 percent, which still isn&8217;t high enough, but that rate is being dragged down by the underperforming inner-city schools.

High school dropouts will on average earn far less than their peers, and contribute less in tax dollars to the federal coffers. If 30 percent of the workforce many years down the line can&8217;t contribute to funding basic services, the other 70 percent will have to pick up the tabs. This is not to blame the 30 percent of high schoolers nationwide who don&8217;t graduate &8212; rather, it&8217;s up to education system in this country to ensure that these low graduation rates don&8217;t continue to happen.

If 1.2 million teens are dropping out of school annually, that&8217;s an epidemic. If the trend continues, it could lead to even more economically depressed areas, like the inner cities where dropout rates are high to begin with, and cause a ripple effect throughout the nation.

&8212; Austin Daily Herald, April 1