Surprised to see this with a discussion of age stratification. It's so ingrained into American culture now that being friends with someone of a different age either carries pedophilic insinuation or assume the younger is above the AOC, some nearly related sexual fetish (MILF,DILF,etc). It's not like especially if someone is very young or very old they can be on the same level maturity wise but at least in my personal life friends who were much older than me have always been enriching probably because they can offer life advice I wouldn't otherwise have. The age stratification in general feels like a piece of a more general trend in America where people in general are closing off from others, in this case, their families in fear of essentially anyone who could be a sexual predator in their minds.

Kind of an aside but back on topic, high school honestly fits into this, a place your kids can go and be safe while you work, which is essentially how it functions.