Legislation to raise the dropout age from 16 to 18 should not continue to languish in the Senate Education Committee.

The premature exodus of students from school is a vital issue that affects not only individual students, but the state’s economy. The bottom line: a poorly educated work force means fewer high-paying skilled jobs will be available here.

The bill should be a top priority in the new year — a full year from its initial introduction. In recent years, we’ve heard repeatedly from lawmakers that education is what’s going to turn around and sustain the state. If so, motivating 16-year-olds not to throw away their future but get on the post-secondary education track is in order. The state has to get kids to finish school before it can reach its goal of a more highly-skilled and educated work force.

One obvious concern is that teachers will have to deal with potentially disruptive and uninterested ‘‘captive’’ students for longer periods of time. However, the Senate bill doesn’t propose arbitrarily forcing recalcitrant kids back into a traditional classroom setting. It provides options of alternative education programs as a path to earning a diploma.

Increasing the dropout age would be meaningless without adequate support for new opportunities. Implementation may have to come when the state’s finances are more stable. But it deserves passage so that resource planning can begin.

The legislation from Sen. Elizabeth Brater, D-Ann Arbor, that raises the minimum school dropout age from 16 to 18 was introduced Jan. 10 and referred to the Education Committee, chaired by Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland. Under the bill, a school board may offer students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to complete some requirements for high school by finishing one or a combination of the following:

• Approved alternative education.

• Community college classes.

• Vocational education program with an apprenticeship or work study that requires attendance at least 10 hours per week.

• Independent study.

A student in a family experiencing economic hardship and who had to hold a job could meet attendance requirements by working at least 25 hours per week and attending school at least 15 hours a week. An intermediate school district program is also an option.

Kuipers needs to take action on this legislation. Lawmakers should not have a piecemeal approach to education, if they are looking for comprehensive results. A decision that has such a huge impact on the state shouldn’t be left up to a 10th grader.