Each year approximately 40% of North Carolina students drop out of school. While the cost of dropouts to society can be difficult to quantify, the impact on our welfare system, labor force, and criminal justice system is obvious. High school dropouts are:
- Twice as likely to be unemployed; three times as likely to be arrested; and six times as likely to be unwed parents.
- Almost 82% of youth offenders in North Carolina are dropouts and juvenile incarceration costs $60K/year (NCOJJDP).
- The last six years of North Carolina's high school dropouts resulted in $72 million in lost state tax revenues this past year alone (CISNC).
CIS is Results Oriented and Cost Effective
- Served over 80,000 children and their families in 57 counties.
- Recruited 9,169 volunteers who contributed over 320,406 hours of their time; and
- 98% of CIS students stayed in school
- CIS cost per child for services is $312/year; Dropouts cost society $4,000/year
Communities In Schools (CIS) is the largest and most effective "dropout prevention network" in the country. Leveraging private dollars, utilizing volunteers, and identifying existing community resources are ways CIS works to provide essential services to at-risk youth both at school and home sites.
The best way to understand the true impact of CIS is by meeting one of our students. Acton Archie is an incredible young man and a former CIS student. Growing up, Acton moved from one public housing development to another - 12 times in 12 years. His father was murdered; his mother was a drug addict. Each day was a struggle, walking past drugs and crime and waking up with no power or water in the house. "Survival was an every day process," explains Acton. "If you would have told me in the eighth grade that I would one day go to college, I would have said I'm not going to school now, how am I going to go to NC State on a scholarship?'
A caring grandmother and a strong faith in God kept him going and Communities In Schools provided a helping hand as well. The CIS site coordinator made sure he had transportation to school, dental and health care, and connections to community support personnel. When you talk with Acton about the impact of CIS in his life he will tell you, "Without CIS I would have probably ended up like my friends either dead or in jail." But thanks to Acton's own dedication and hard work, and a little help from Communities In Schools, Acton graduated from NCSU in May 2004 and is now working at SAS.
While CIS is making a difference, there are another 350,000 children who need CIS services. Please give your time, talent or treasure today.
For more information regarding CISNC, please visit www.cisnc.org.
*Invest in Success is sponsored by RBC Bank.
