Montana School Superintendent Juneau Wants Older Dropout Age

More funding for the Montana Digital Academy and a statewide raising of the dropout rate to age 18 from 16. That's what Denise Juneau, Office of Public Instruction Superintendent, wants to push through the legislature.

In an Associated Press story this week, Juneau want more funding for the Digital academy so more students can get online education courses without a large fee. She said $1.5 million over two years would help reach that goal.

She said that the dropout age raise failed in the last Montana legislature, but she has more backers for the measure this next year.

She started the Graduation Matters initiative in 2011 and 65 percent of Montana schools have signed on to the effort to improve graduation rates.

Juneau was re-elected to the state education post in a close election last month.