Citing a count of 2,300 high school dropouts in New Hampshire last year, Gov. John Lynch and several senators from both parties endorsed a plan yesterday to raise the age when a teenager can quit school from 16 to 18. But critics said the state would need to fund the initiative.

Nate Greenberg, superintendent of the Londonderry School District, told the Senate Education Committee that there already aren't enough internships for teens who want to work, and there aren't enough treatment centers for students with substance abuse problems. Both factors often contribute to a teen's decision to drop out.

Without setting aside money for programs like those, "we will have a piece of legislation that will be the frosting on the cake, instead of the cake itself," Greenberg said.

The plan emphasizes the importance of alternative education. Once a student turns 16, it gives him or her the option of developing an "alternative learning plan," which could include an independent study, community service or internship.

"We must think creatively about ways to keep young people in school and to motivate them to learn," Lynch said. "A traditional classroom setting may not work for every at-risk student."

Sen. Dick Green, a Rochester Republican and the bill's primary sponsor, said additional funding won't be needed. Schools receive state grant money based on two-year-old enrollment numbers, which already count students who may drop out later, he said.

But Greenberg argued that it's not enough. Without more funding for special programs, some 16- and 17-year-olds who don't want to be in school will become discipline problems, not success stories, he said.

"We believe this bill, though well-intentioned, does not go far enough," Greenberg said.

Lynch said additional funding will be considered. If approved, the age wouldn't change until 2008, giving lawmakers time to examine how best to keep young people in school, he said.

The bill also faced opposition from home-schoolers who said raising the compulsory attendance age to 18 will create two more years of paperwork for them. Now, they no longer have to submit lesson plans to the state when their children turn 16.

Diane Lachance of Hopkinton, who educates her 14-year-old son at home, said that getting an education isn't always about being in school.

"Passing this bill is removing parents from the equation and assuming the education system knows what's best," she said.

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By MELANIE ASMAR

Monitor staff