Although statistics are improving, City children continue to be failing their classes and dropping out before they graduate at unacceptable rates. Programs like Children’s Scholarship Fund Baltimore help provide the pressure required to induce long-needed changes within the system. Quality non-public elementary schools raise the bar for all educators to provide successful results. City neighborhoods benefit by families remaining in the community rather than searching for better educational opportunities elsewhere and local public high schools benefit from the students who return to the public school system after graduating eighth grade successfully prepared for the ninth.