I was shocked by a couple of statistics in Amanda Clegg's A1 story today about dropout rates. One: More than 1 million students each year do not finish high school. Two: More than 100 kids dropped out of Altoona Area High School in the 2007-08 year. The dropout rate is determined over a 12-month period for grades seven through 12. So theoretically that means something like 16 kids on average in each grade level dropped out that year. How is that even possible?

Our staffers are hard at work on the 2010 People & Progress special edition that comes out later this month. It's an enormous undertaking to look back at the past year across the area and look forward to what is coming this year. This is definitely something you don't want to miss. The ad on C3 today has more information.

Classified ad of the day: Set of six acrobatic/dance outfits for girls for $30.

Don't forget to enter the Giant Eagle $100 gift card giveaway. The ad is on D3.