Senate Bill sb0360
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 360
By Senator Wilson
33-22-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to mandatory school attendance;
3 amending ss. 1002.20, 1003.21, and 1003.51,
4 F.S.; changing the ending age for mandatory
5 school attendance from 16 years to 18 years;
6 providing an effective date.
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8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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10 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of
11 section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
12 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.--Parents of
13 public school students must receive accurate and timely
14 information regarding their child's academic progress and must
15 be informed of ways they can help their child to succeed in
16 school. K-12 students and their parents are afforded numerous
17 statutory rights including, but not limited to, the following:
18 (2) ATTENDANCE.--
19 (a) Compulsory school attendance.--The compulsory
20 school attendance laws apply to all children between the ages
21 of 6 and 18 16 years, as provided in s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a),
22 and, in accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.21(1) and
23 (2)(a):
24 1. A student who attains the age of 16 years during
25 the school year has the right to file a formal declaration of
26 intent to terminate school enrollment if the declaration is
27 signed by the parent. The parent has the right to be notified
28 by the school district of the district's receipt of the
29 student's declaration of intent to terminate school
30 enrollment.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 360
33-22-07
1 2. Students who become or have become married or who
2 are pregnant and parenting have the right to attend school and
3 receive the same or equivalent educational instruction as
4 other students.
5 (b) Regular school attendance.--Parents of students
6 who have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of any
7 school year but who have not attained the age of 18 16 years
8 must comply with the compulsory school attendance laws.
9 Parents have the option to comply with the school attendance
10 laws by attendance of the student in a public school; a
11 parochial, religious, or denominational school; a private
12 school; a home education program; or a private tutoring
13 program, in accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.01(13).
14 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1) of
15 section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
16 1003.21 School attendance.--
17 (1)(a)1. All children who have attained the age of 6
18 years or who will have attained the age of 6 years by February
19 1 of any school year or who are older than 6 years of age but
20 who have not attained the age of 18 16 years, except as
21 otherwise provided, are required to attend school regularly
22 during the entire school term.
23 2. Children who will have attained the age of 5 years
24 on or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for
25 admission to public kindergartens during that school year
26 under rules adopted by the district school board.
27 (c) A student who attains the age of 18 16 years
28 during the school year is not subject to compulsory school
29 attendance beyond the date upon which he or she attains that
30 age if the student files a formal declaration of intent to
31 terminate school enrollment with the district school board.
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 360
33-22-07
1 Public school students who have attained the age of 18 16
2 years and who have not graduated are subject to compulsory
3 school attendance until the formal declaration of intent is
4 filed with the district school board. The declaration must
5 acknowledge that terminating school enrollment is likely to
6 reduce the student's earning potential and must be signed by
7 the student and the student's parent. The school district must
8 notify the student's parent of receipt of the student's
9 declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment. The
10 student's guidance counselor or other school personnel must
11 conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the
12 reasons for the student's decision to terminate school
13 enrollment and actions that could be taken to keep the student
14 in school. The student must be informed of opportunities to
15 continue his or her education in a different environment,
16 including, but not limited to, adult education and GED test
17 preparation. Additionally, the student must complete a survey
18 in a format prescribed by the Department of Education to
19 provide data on student reasons for terminating enrollment and
20 actions taken by schools to keep students enrolled.
21 Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 1003.51, Florida
22 Statutes, is amended to read:
23 1003.51 Other public educational services.--
24 (4) The Department of Education shall ensure that
25 district school boards notify students in juvenile justice
26 residential or nonresidential facilities who attain the age of
27 18 16 years of the provisions of law regarding compulsory
28 school attendance and make available the option of enrolling
29 in a program to attain a Florida high school diploma by taking
30 the general educational development test prior to release from
31 the facility. District school boards or community colleges, or
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Florida Senate - 2007 SB 360
33-22-07
1 both, shall waive GED testing fees for youth in Department of
2 Juvenile Justice residential programs and shall, upon request,
3 designate schools operating for the purpose of providing
4 educational services to youth in Department of Juvenile
5 Justice programs as GED testing centers, subject to GED
6 testing center requirements. The administrative fees for the
7 general education development test required by the Department
8 of Education are the responsibility of district school boards
9 and may be required of providers by contractual agreement.
10 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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13 SENATE SUMMARY
14 Changes the ending age for mandatory school attendance
from 16 years to 18 years.
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