Officials at the Clark County School District in Las Vegas say that they are seeing more adults returning to high school in order to improve their chances of finding employment in a tough job market.

The Las Vegas Sun interviewed several graduates from the adult education program who recently obtained their diplomas after returning to finish their schooling years after dropping out.

Kathy Hurst dropped out of high school 17 years ago, and has returned to finally get her diploma and intends to continue on into college. Asked what she would say to her younger self if she could travel back in time, she was clear about the value of a degree.

"I'd say, 'Don't be stupid,'?" Hurst told the Sun. "The most important thing you can ever do is to get an education. If I hadn't quit I'd be in a much better place right now and so would my family."

Education level and overall salary and job opportunities have been linked together in study after study. One of the reasons states like Ohio are focusing stimulus money on overhauling education is to prepare their population for the jobs of the future.