In a recent study conducted by the Tennessee Department of Education, researchers found that 10.7 percent of students in grades 9-12 drop out prior to earning a high school diploma, which ranks 48th in the nation.

This research prompted UTM Chancellor Dr. Nick Dunagan and eight other area colleges to work together toward putting a stop to an increasing number of high school dropouts by seeking a way to inform students and parents of the importance of staying in school and completing the highest level of education possible.

Dunagan and Jackson State President Bruce Blanding are heading up the group of nine West Tennessee colleges that have formed the West Tennessee Higher Education Consortium, which will promote the benefits of staying in school, and inform parents and their students of the available resources to aid students in reaching their goals. Dunagan said that the No. 1 goal of the consortium is “to encourage young people to finish high school, and then try to get them to see the potential in their life and how that potential can be enhanced.”

Dunagan said that he saw the state’s low graduation rates and the amount of students who attend college as problematic. Westview High School guidance counselor Jennifer Martin said the primary reason students don’t graduate is a “lack of motivation.”

Another factor that caused Dunagan to seek action was Tennessee’s low spending per pupil in public schools. Tennessee ranks 46th in the nation on per pupil spending. Tennessee spent $6,997 in public schools per pupil in grades K-12, whereas the national average is significantly higher at $8,724. Dunagan, along with the leaders of Lambuth University, Bethel College, Dyersburg State Community College, Freed-Hardeman University, Jackson State Community College, Lane College, Union University, and the University of Memphis, met in January of this year. Their plan is to pool their resources and pay for billboards with messages that encourage students to stay in school, along with other promotional efforts to show the general public the advantages of staying in school.

“It begins early, and is a long term project,” Dunagan said. They plan on targeting students from middle school through high school encouraging them to further their education and reach their highest potential.

Dunagan explained that not only will students benefit from more education and better jobs, but the economy would benefit from more educated citizens who are better able to provide for their families.