High School Students Face Hard Lesson in Economics

A student studies in the library at Silver Creek High School last month in San Jose, Calif. The library is open for only an hour a day as a result of state cuts to the education budget.

—Paul Sakuma/AP

By The Associated Press

San Jose, Calif.

Students graduating from high school this spring may be collecting their diplomas just in time, leaving institutions that are being badly weakened by the nation's economic downturn.

Across the country, mass layoffs of teachers, counselors and other staff members — caused in part by the drying up of federal stimulus dollars — are leading to larger classes and reductions in everything that is not a core subject, including music, art, clubs, sports and other after-school activities.

Educators and others worry the cuts could lead to higher dropout rates and lower college attendance as students receive less guidance and become less engaged in school. They fear a generation of young people...