in population from 1950 to 1960 indicates relative stability, the A group 

 declining 6.0 percent and the B group increasing 1.2 percent. The aver- 

 age equalized valuation per capita for Group A was 80 percent greater 

 than for Group B, but the average number of resident pupils for the 13 

 districts was nearly three times as great as for the 10 Group A districts. 

 Costs per elementary pupil for the A and B groups were S542 and 

 $315, respectively, indicating greater support by the ten districts having 

 a higher taxable wealth per capita, and not maintaining a high school. 

 High school costs per pupil were $425 and S676, respectively, thcreliy in- 

 dicating extremely high costs for maintaining small high schools. The 

 average property tax for schools was $591 for the Group A districts and 

 $504 for Group B. Because of the greater taxable wealth per capita, 

 however, the school tax rate was only $13.70 per $1,000 of equalized val- 

 uation for small districts not maintaining a high school, compared to 

 $19.47 for the small poorer districts maintaining a high school for fewer 

 than 60 pupils. 



DROPOUTS 



TN New Hampshire, all children between six to 16 years of age are re- 

 quired to attend a public school to which they are assigned unless ex- 

 cused because of a physical or mental condition. The statvites further 

 provide that a pupil more than 14 years old who has completed the 

 studies prescribed for elementary schools shall not be required to attend 

 high school if the district in which he resides does not maintain a high 

 school. Although public transportation is required for elementary pupils 

 through the eighth grade, districts are not required to provide transpor- 

 tation to high school except for pupils under the age of 14 in grades 

 above the eighth. 



The problem of dropouts is a serious matter, not alone from the point 

 of view of the individual boy or girl, ])ut also in the interest of the 

 national and state economy. In this age of automation the demand for 

 skilled workers exceeds the supply, while the demand for unskilled 

 workers has declined absolutely. Dropouts generally fall in the category 

 of unskilled workers. They are the last to be employed and the first to 

 be discharged. There is every evidence that advanced education pays 

 handsomely over one's productive lifetime, and in a technical society 

 there is urgent need for young men and women to advance their educa- 

 tion to the extent of their capabilities. 



If all pupils starting in the first grade were to remain and complete 

 secondary education, the number of high school pupils, grades 9-12, 

 would be one-half of elementary pupils, grades 1-8. But actually the 

 number of high school pupils in New Hampshire is approximately one- 



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