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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Eye On Boise: Idaho’s Leading Export — Students

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Laird Stone, head of the Idaho State Board of Education, told legislative budget writers just now, “We have too few students going on to higher education, and too many of them are leaving the state. In fact, Idaho’s best export at this time is its students.” The state ranks 46th of 50 states in the percentage of graduating high school seniors who go on to some form of higher education, Stone said. And “too many of our best and brightest” who do go to college do so out of state -- Betsy Russell/Eye On Boise.

DFO: Stone's right. My children barely glanced at Idaho schools when they were looking for a four-year college. Amy had a passing interest in Boise State. But BSU couldn't offer the type of scholarships and other incentives that made it less expensive to go to a private school in Portland did. As a result, the kids are attending college in Denver (medical school) and Portland, respectively. And I doubt they will move back to this area when they're done. They are an example of Idaho's exports of quality students. There are many, many others.

Question: How can Idaho staunch the export of its college students to other states?



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.