NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $51 million grant to create 67 small and challenging high schools in the New York City region.
Bill Gates and New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the grants at a news conference Wednesday at a school in the Bronx.
"Nearly one of three eighth graders in America today will not graduate from high school," Gates said. "New York City is demonstrating how we can bring our schools into the 21st century to make sure that all students, not just a select few, are prepared for college and the workplace. Our country's civic, social and economic future depends on our ability to do this on a national scale."
In all, the foundation announced nationwide grants totaling $66.5 million as part of its ongoing effort to improve high school graduation rates, particularly among African-American and Hispanic students. To date, the foundation has invested $590 million to support 1,600 schools nationwide.
