Whom We Serve

Why We Need Communities In Schools

Below are a few statistics regarding children and youth in Mecklenburg County and the impact on society of high school dropouts. Clearly there is a need for an organization such as CIS that mobilizes the community and its resources in order to help its youth obtain a valuable education and be equipped to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

- Approximately 13% of Mecklenburg County’s children live in poverty.

- Almost half (47%) of students in Mecklenburg County are eligible for the free or reduced-cost lunch program.

- Approximately 2,500 students drop out of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools each year. More than 23,000 students drop out each year in the state of North Carolina.

- A recent study by Columbia University estimates the total lifetime social costs of ONE high school dropout is $209,000 (decreased income tax revenue, welfare, public health, etc.). Based on this figure, the cost to Charlotte-Mecklenburg citizens for ONE class of high school dropouts (2,500 annually) is $522 million. ($209,000 x 2500 = $522 million)

- Dropouts are twice as likely to be unemployed and three times more likely to commit a crime. 

- 75% of N.C. prisoners are high school dropouts. The state spends $600 million annually to incarcerate 24,000 prisoners.

- 26% of dropouts receive welfare compared to 7% of high school graduates.

- On average, a high school graduate earns approximately $9,400 more in annual income than a high school dropout, and a college graduate earns approximately $23,000 more in annual income than a high school graduate. 
[U.S Census Bureau, 2006]