Higher education levels are associated with better health outcomes. Missing too many days of school can cause students to fall behind and increases their risk of dropping out. For instance, in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, the elementary school absenteeism rate is higher than the rate for NYC over all. Four out of five high school students in East Flatbush graduate in four years, similar to the citywide rate. 80% of those who do not graduate end up in prison and on public assistance programs which lead to poverty.
