When it comes to dropping out, “can’t” doesn’t mean “won’t”

It’s a start.

But let’s get one thing straight: That’s all it is.

Over the past few months, lawmakers in Kentucky, Georgia, Montana and other states have been debating bills that would raise the age at which students can drop out of school. Those in favor argue that younger teens aren’t old enough to make decisions that will so fundamentally (and negatively) impact the rest of their lives. Those opposed fret over the cost of trying to educate students who don’t really want to be in school anyway.

But pretty much everyone is missing the point. Because the act of dropping out of school isn’t about age — it’s about options. Students drop out when staying in school becomes more difficult than leaving.

In its work with dropouts in several states, the educators and administrators at The American Academy see young men and women who leave school because they become parents, because they need to earn full-time wages and because they’re scared of bullies and gangs. These problems have nothing to do with how old they are — and they have nothing to do with what the men and women at the state capitol think about how long students should be in school.

That’s why states like Michigan and California (which mandate high school attendance through the age of 18) don’t have substantially different graduation rates from states like Kentucky and Georgia (where students are permitted to drop out at the age of 16.) Clearly, simply saying students can’t drop out doesn’t mean they won’t drop out.

That’s not to say that raising the age of mandatory school attendance isn’t a good first step: It is — but only if that step is accompanied by a firm commitment to tackling the issues that are really driving students from school.

Paper mandates don’t touch those problems. And neither do muscled-up attempts to criminalize the act of dropping out. Can a truancy officer help a homeless student pay rent? Find childcare for a new baby? Avoid gang violence? Of course not.

Students need options that help them continue their educations when other obstacles stand in the way. And if we don’t provide those options, we’re not doing them any good by raising the age at which they can legally drop out.