Get rid of 12th grade?

Utah senator Chris Buttars has proposed getting rid of senior year of high school. He believes that this would save $60 million which would help to make a dent in the $700 million that they are in the red for.
According to the article, several other states are considering having students take a proficient test at the end of 10th grade which would then allow them to enter community college. (I think this would be similar to an AP exam in that it says the student is proficient at/for a college level.) This option is not suspose to be a money saver, but it is suspose to reduce the number of remedical classes at the college level.

Anyone who teaches high school care to comment?
Personally, I think that the senator should leave the 12th grade alone. MATURITY is a huge issue - high school students need that extra year or two to mature a little before they leave the nest. While this might not be true for some students, I think that as a whole, it is.

http://education.change.org/blog/view/no_more_pencils_no_more_books_eliminating_senior_year