Last modified: Saturday, June 6, 2009 4:01 AM EDT HAND: Boys left behind? The top two graduates at North Attleboro High School this year were girls. The same goes for Bishop Feehan High School, Norton High School and Mansfield High School. At Attleboro High School, not only were the valedictorian and salutatorian girls, but so were 12 of the 15 seniors who graduated from the honors program. It appears boys are not making the grade when it comes to high achievement in area high schools. And this year was not necessarily unique. National studies show there is an achievement gap between boys and girls. Girls get better grades and more girls go to college than boys, the studies have found. Boys drop out out of high school at higher rates, finish college at lower rates, and get into trouble in school more frequently than girls. Chris Mattocks, an associate professor of education at Bridgewater State College and a school superintendent for 30 years, said there are all kinds of reasons for the gap. One, he said, is that the stereotype that girls are not as good at math as boys has been dying and girls are succeeding in an area that boys used to dominate. Another is that some boys are more interested in work than school, he said. Still another factor is social pressure. "It's just not cool for boys to be in the honors program and today cool is everything. Who wants to be the only boy in an honors class?" he said. The problem is likely to continue as boys are greatly underrepresented in honors programs at schools like Attleboro High. Local schools have to do more to change their cultures so boys are not reluctant to challenge themselves in the most demanding classes the schools have to offer. But, Mattocks said his experience as a former superintendent tells him the most important factor in student success is supportive parents who stress the importance of education. One of many They say misery loves company, and Massachusetts state officials have lots of company when it comes to budget problems. A study by the National Association of State Legislatures found that 31 states have been hit with a drop in income tax revenue due to the recession. Twenty-five states have seen their income, sales and corporate taxes plunge. The result has been budget deficits across the nation, with the total red ink coming to an estimated $121 billion. In Massachusetts, tax revenue has been dropping so fast that Gov. Deval Patrick had to submit a revised budget proposal, even though the House and Senate have already passed their versions of the spending plan. State tax receipts are now running at about $2.1 billion below last year's levels, according to the state Department of Revenue. In May alone, income fell 14 percent from last year. The governor had factored in a $1.5 billion decline in revenue when he submitted his initial budget, but had to revise it when receipts fell further. Patrick's budget plan does not include an increase in the sales tax that the House and Senate have already approved and state Rep. Betty Poirier said she thinks the governor is trying to show up the Legislature with the move. "There is a lot of political gamesmanship going on. He is trying to distance himself from the leadership of the Legislature and they have had some unflattering things to say about him," she said. JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. His commentaries appear in this space on Saturdays. Contact him at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.