Utah State Senator Chris Buttars Suggests Eliminating 12th Grade Altogether

Utah state Sen. Chris Buttars suggests making 12th grade in high school optional, as a way of for the state to save up to $60 million.

It's bad enough that the United States is slipping in its educational standards relative to other countries, but now Utah State Sen. Chris Buttars suggested eliminating the 12th grade altogether to save up to $60 million in the state's coffers. Right, at the expense of educating our kids. He has since changed his tune and is now saying that 12th grade should be optional for those students who finish their required credits early. That makes sense, but how many students will actually take advantage of that? According to a report on CNN, only 200 students graduate high school early.

"I like thinking outside of the box like this," said Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, who co-chairs the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee. "I think it really makes us examine what we're doing." Now, instead of trying to eliminate 12th grade, Buttars, R-West Jordan, is proposing the state save up to $60 million by giving students the option of graduating from high school early. Students who finish their high school requirements early are already allowed to graduate early, but Buttars' proposal would provide more incentives for students to do that and make that option clearer, he said. Buttars said he's working on a bill on the concept.

"There are some [students] that really have a great 12th grade, but you talk to 100 kids and their parents, and I believe the majority of them will say, 'Well, my kid didn't do much in the 12th grade,'" Buttars said. "Everybody wants to talk about change ... But to tell you the truth, they're scared to death of it." Several lawmakers praised Buttars on Monday for his creativity in trying to think of ways to ease the state's budget troubles.

Buttars is proposing that students who graduate from high school early be allowed to pay the same amount of money to take college classes during their first year of college as they would have paid to take concurrent enrollment, Advanced Placement and distance learning classes in high school. Source: Salt Lake Tribune

This proposal could work if students work hard and complete their classes with passing grades. The reality is it takes a lot more work and discipline for a student to accelerate their high school education. It just seems that our schools are always on the cutting block and educational funding is always being pared across this country. The children are our future, why are they being short-changed by our legislators at every step of the way?