WABE Interview: Closer Look on the Cost of Not Graduating

On a recent episode of WABE’s Closer Look with Rose Scott, Georgia Appleseed Executive Director Michael Waller spoke about our new research report, Unlocking Georgia’s Potential: The Long-Term Economic and Social Benefits of Keeping Students in School.

The study, conducted in partnership with Georgia State University, shows that when more Georgia students graduate high school, the entire state benefits—socially, economically, and civically. Each year, roughly 21,000 students fail to graduate, costing Georgia an estimated $14.4 billion in lost income and public expenses.

During the interview, Waller explained how exclusionary discipline practices—such as out-of-school suspensions for minor behavior—drive down graduation rates without improving safety. Instead, he emphasized solutions that keep students engaged and schools calm, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM).

“Graduating a child is maybe the smartest investment Georgia can make.”
— Michael Waller, on WABE’s Closer Look

The conversation also highlighted how Georgia’s bipartisan school-discipline reforms over the last decade have made the state a national model for balancing fairness and safety—and how continued investment in data-driven, evidence-based supports can build on that success.

🎧 Listen to the full interview on WABE: Closer Look with Rose Scott →
📄 Read the full transcript here
📘 Read the full study: Unlocking Georgia’s Potential (PDF) →