"Turn your heads to the right," Principal Anthony Orr said over the microphone at Camp Dunbar this year.

"Now turn your heads to the left. Either you or one of these people will not graduate with the rest of your class in four years."

While this may sound slightly dramatic, Mr. Orr is not too far from the truth. In 2007 alone, 30 students from Dunbar dropped out. In fact, Kentucky has such a big problem with dropouts that a two day meeting had to be called on September 11 and 12 to reduce the number of dropouts.

The proposed program is called Graduate Kentucky: A Community Approach, and will be the first step in a state-wide campaign to raise graduation rates.

"Reducing our dropout rate is as tied to educational achievement as it is to workforce development, economic development and the ability of Kentucky to offer its citizens the quality of life they deserve," said the Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear the host of the meetings and the head of the Graduate Kentucky Program.

In the state of Kentucky, over a quarter of adults have less than a high school education. This is a scary statistic that places the state near the bottom in national rankings for education. It means that Kentucky citizens face increased crime rates, lower economic gains, and shorter life spans.

At Dunbar, Mr. Orr said that he wants to see a decrease in the amount of dropouts, which begs the question: would it be possible for a public high school to have zero students drop out?

All students must achieve 26 credits to graduate from Dunbar. Most students at Dunbar will have the opportunity to earn 32 credits, and Dunbar gives students who are struggling additional chances to recover credits through PLATO.

Perhaps 20 years from now, Mr. Orr’s words at Camp Dunbar will be less dramatic: "Turn your heads to the right. Now turn your heads to the left. All three of you will graduate with the rest of your class in four years."