DROPOUTS DROP: Once again, the state’s high...

DROPOUTS DROP: Once again, the state’s high school dropout rate declined last year (A1), and Ventura County mirrored that trend (B1). . . . Some districts cite programs aimed at keeping kids in school, but Dolores Brum has another theory. “There are fewer places to go and make $10 an hour,” said Brum, a state employment counselor in Thousand Oaks. “Most kids would rather stay in school than go to work for $4.25.” Finishing high school is important, she said, “but in this market you’re not going to go very far with just that diploma.”