Emotions, facts about grads

There will be few dry eyes at Sunday afternoon's McCook High School graduation ceremony, set for 2 p.m. at Weiland Field.

There will be tears of joy for attaining an important goal, or tears of sadness knowing that the child who just started kindergarten -- can it really be 13 years ago? -- is ready to move on. Or, there will be tears that things will never really be the same for that group of friends we've faced life's experiences with.

The same scene is being repeated around the country as another crop of graduates pass one milestone and steer, surely or uncertainly, toward the next.

An emotional time, yes, but there are firm numbers attached to this level of educational attainment.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an all-time high of 85 percent of U.S. adults age 25 and over had completed at least a high school degree in 2003, probably a tribute to programs like Adult Basic Education as well as traditional institutions.

The number of whites, 89 percent, with a high school diploma is up by five percent since 1993, and blacks, 80 percent, is up by 10 percent. And, for the second year in a row, 1 percent more women (85 percent) than men (84 percent) achieved high school degrees.

The states with the highest high school graduation rates were New Hampshire, Minnesota and Wyoming, all with about 92 percent. Nebraska ranks high, however, with about 90 percent receiving high school diplomas, and that includes Red Willow County.

But what does it really mean? Well, for one thing, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, crossing the graduation stage Sunday means that the average senior will earn $27,280 a year compared to $18,826 for those who drop out.

For the McCook High School class of 2005, that translates to more than a million dollars a year in extra income. Now that's something to get emotional about.