In the United States a child drops out of high school every 22 seconds. That amounts to one million drop-outs each year. In 1963, the U.S. was ranked #1 in education among 70 developed countries of the world. Today we are ranked a mediocre #17. 1/3rd of American children are not ready for kindergarten. In light of these alarming statistics, government should be increasing funding for education.  The sad truth is that 82% of states are cutting college funding and 2/3 of our states are cutting funding of education for Grades k-12. The Educational Foundation for Rockport was founded 18 years ago to enhance the quality of education for students in the Rockport Public Schools. The Foundation raises money from private sources to initiate or sustain programs our schools desire but can not afford to fund.  This year the EFR is funding nine diverse programs for a total of $30,500 including Virtual High School (VHS) on-line courses, Kestrel science program, dance and poetry residencies and 7th Graders to College. Two new programs we are funding are a Lego-tronics after-school program and a 5th Grade Ballroom Dance program. Boston Magazine has rated Rockport High School 36th among all Massachusetts public schools in quality of education.  This is an accomplishment of which we can be proud but we cannot rest on our laurels.  We need to insure that our students have every educational opportunity we can provide. Won’t you join us is building upon the achievements of our school system? Your support is greatly appreciated!