From lost wages to the cost of social services, Central Texans pay more than $425 million for each class of Austin-area dropouts.

On Friday, educators from around the area came together at a dropout prevention summit to discuss ways to keep kids in school.

Some students like Arturo Garcia, a senior at Reagan High School, had his say in what they thought would help.

"At this young age, students need a lot of reinforcement that the world is such a bigger place and they definitely can do more if they apply themselves and work more," Garcia said.

A little reinforcement now can be a big help in the future. In the Austin Independent School District alone, the four-year graduation rate is just over 74 percent. If absenteeism and dropouts were reduced, it could save the district tens of millions of dollars. For the local economy, the long-term price for a dropout is much more.

"We have to be accountable," President of E3 Alliance Susan Dawson said. "It's not just about principals being accountable, or schools being accountable, it's about businesses, political leaders, us as individuals. How we change our culture to realize, we're all in this together."

That's a theme AISD's Superintendent Meria Carstarphen has tried to convey to the community as well.

Mentor programs are one way the district hopes to help students stay in school.

Garcia said it's not just a student effort to keep his peers motivated-- he knows having someone besides his parents to push him has made all the difference.

"The biggest thing that's helped me out is having those mentors and having that bond between me and another adult that's been through the same things I've been through," he said.

Garcia will be graduating from Reagan High School this year. He hopes adults will continue to take the initiative to influence the lives of his classmates, especially his friends who won't be graduating along with him.