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A bill to be entitled

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An act relating to school attendance; amending s. 1003.21,

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F.S.; requiring that a student who is withdrawing from

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school be assigned a counselor or other school personnel

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to provide educational information until the student is 18

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years old; amending s. 1003.428, F.S.; requiring 9th

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graders and students who are withdrawing from school to

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receive instruction about the effects of withdrawing from

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high school; providing an effective date.

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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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     Section 1.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section

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1003.21, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

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     1003.21  School attendance.--

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     (1)

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     (c) A student who has not graduated and who attains the age

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of 16 years during the school year is not subject to compulsory

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school attendance after beyond the date upon which he or she

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attains that age if the student files a formal declaration of

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intent to terminate school enrollment with the district school

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board. Such Public school students who have attained the age of

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16 years and who have not graduated are subject to compulsory

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school attendance until the formal declaration of intent is filed

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with the district school board. The declaration must acknowledge

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that terminating school enrollment is likely to reduce the

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student's earning potential and must be signed by the student and

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the student's parent. The school district must notify the

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student's parent of receipt of the student's declaration of

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intent to terminate school enrollment. The student's guidance

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counselor or other school personnel must conduct an exit

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interview with the student to determine the reasons for the

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student's decision to terminate school enrollment and actions

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that could be taken to keep the student in school. The student

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must be informed of opportunities to continue his or her

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education in a different environment, including, but not limited

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to, adult education and GED test preparation. Additionally, the

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student must complete a survey in a format prescribed by the

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Department of Education to provide data on student reasons for

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terminating enrollment and actions taken by schools to keep

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students enrolled. The school must also assign a counselor or

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other school personnel to the student who shall serve as a

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resource for educational information until the student attains

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the age of 18.

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     Section 2.  Present subsections (9) through (11) of section

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1003.428, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (10)

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through (12), respectively, and a new subsection (9) is added to

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that section, to read:

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     1003.428  General requirements for high school graduation;

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revised.--

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     (9) Each student who is in the second semester of the 9th

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grade and any student who is withdrawing from school without

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graduating or transferring to another school must be given

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instruction that includes a detailed discussion of the relative

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advantages and disadvantages of the following:

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     (a) The value of a high school education, both financially

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and culturally;

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     (b) The alternative assessments, such as the SAT and the

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ACT, the scores of which could help the student obtain a high

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school diploma; and

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     (c) The secondary and postsecondary options that are

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available, including secondary career and professional academy

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opportunities, workforce training, and enrolling in a community

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college or university, and the prerequisites to each, with or

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without a diploma.

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     Section 3.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.