HELENA — Raising Montana’s minimum age to drop out of public school from 16 to 18 has been voted down by several previous Legislatures, and the latest proposal, brought before the House Education Committee on Wednesday, could face stiffer opposition given the current budget shortfall.

Acknowledging the Legislature’s depressed appetite for expanding government spending, Rep. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, appealed to the committee on economic grounds, arguing that the up-front expenses in House Bill 192 would be outweighed by the long-term benefits of keeping students in the classroom.

The state has estimated that adding those students to the system would cost about $900,000 per year.

“Imagine if ... a student who is considering dropping out reaches the so-called self-imposed fork in the road, takes one turn, and she self-selects to remove herself from school,” Fern told the committee, “and she joins the following statistical group.”

Citing state and federal agency reports, Fern said the student would on average earn $9,200 less per year than a high school graduate and $1 million less over her lifetime than a college graduate.

He added that 80 percent of males and 75 percent of females in Montana’s prison system are high school dropouts, and argued the policy change would result in millions of dollars of savings within the criminal justice system.

Fern’s bill would preserve exceptions for students who complete graduation requirements early or complete high-school equivalency requirements, and add exceptions for 16-year-olds who have enrolled in programs such as the Montana Youth Challenge Program or Montana Job Corps.

The bill earned praise from the Montana teachers union, while opponents questioned whether older students could be compelled to remain in school.

“Raising the attendance age fails to achieve significant results,” said Ron Trippet, who delivered a letter of opposition on behalf of the Montana Coalition of Home Educators. “... The projected impact of passing House Bill 192 is $1 million. It is not the solution to increasing graduation rates.”

Anticipating fiscal concerns from the committee, Fern suggested delaying the bill’s implementation for two years, at which point the state revenues are projected to rebound.

The House Education Committee is expected to hold a vote on the bill sometime next week.

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or swilson@dailyinterlake.com.