ECSheading
From the ECS State Policy Database
Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower)


Education Commission of the States • 700 Broadway, Suite 810 • Denver, CO 80203-3442 • 303.299.3600 • fax 303.296.8332 • www.ecs.org

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format.

Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date].

State Status/Date Level Summary
TNSigned into law 05/2012P-12Sets kindergarten entrance age. Children entering kindergarten shall be five years of age on or before August 31 for the 2013-2014 school year and on or before August 15 for all school years thereafter.
http://state.tn.us/sos/acts/107/pub/pc0991.pdf
Title: H.B. 2566
Source: http://www.capitol.tn.gov

HISigned into law 06/2010P-12Repeals portion of section 302A-1134 that barred a student age 17 or older from entering grade 9, and that barred a student age 18 or older from entering grade 10. Replaces with language that provides that no student who is age 20 or older on the first instructional day of school is eligible to attend school, but allows a student who turns 20 after the first instructional day to attend the remainder of the school year. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2010/Bills/HB2077_CD1_.HTM
Title: H.B. 2077
Source: www.capitol.hawaii.gov

ILSigned into law 01/2010P-12Requires the department of human services to operate a comprehensive professional development system called the Gateways to Opportunity program. Directs the department of human services to award Gateways to Opportunity credentials to early care and education, school-age, and youth development practitioners, based on a variety of professional achievements in field experience, knowledge and skills, educational attainment and training accomplishments. Specifies the Gateways to Opportunity program must identify professional knowledge guidelines that define what all practitioners working with children and youth need to know and be able to do to support children's and youth's development, school readiness and school success

Provides that a child who has attended a private preschool and attended a kindergarten class at that school taught by an appropriately certified teacher, who will turn 6 on or before December 31, may attend 1st grade in a public school at the beginning of that school year, upon an assessment of the child's readiness. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/96/HB/PDF/09600HB0806lv.pdf
Title: H.B. 806
Source: www.ilga.gov

WISigned into law 10/2009P-12Beginning on September 1, 2011, a school board may not enroll a child in the first grade in a school in the school district, including in a charter school located in the school district, unless the child has completed 5-year-old kindergarten. Requires each school board that operates a 5-year-old kindergarten program to adopt a written policy specifying the criteria for promoting a pupil from 5-year-old kindergarten to the first grade. Requires each board to establish procedures, conditions, and standards for exempting a child from the requirement that the child complete kindergarten as a prerequisite to enrollment in the first grade and for reviewing the denial of an exemption upon the request of the pupil's parent or guardian. A child must be admitted to first grade if before either commencing or completing first grade, the child moved into Wisconsin from a state, country, or territory in which completion of 5-year-old kindergarten is a prerequisite to entering first grade and the child was exempted from the requirement to complete 5-year-old kindergarten in the state, country, or territory from which the child moved. Act No. 41. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/2009/data/acts/09Act41.pdf
Title: A.B. 119
Source: http://www.legis.state.wi.us

NDSigned into law 08/2009P-12Modifies 15.1-06-01. Changes the cut-off date for enrollment in grade one from September first to August first. For kindergarten, the cut-off date changes from five by September first of the year of enrollment to August first. Provides exception for children who are six by December first (changed from January 1) and who meet other readiness indicators. Schools are free, open and accessible to students who have not reached the age of 21 prior to August first (changed from September first). Effective July 2010. http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009/bill-text/JBCQ0300.pdf
Title: H.B. 1378
Source: http://www.legis.nd.gov

ILSigned into law 08/2007P-12Requires a person having custody or control of a child who is below the compulsory school age but enrolled in kindergarten in a public school to cause the child to attend the public school. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/SB/PDF/09500SB0543lv.pdf
Title: S.B. 543
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet

ILSigned into law 07/2007P-12In the definition of children with disabilities, provides that an eligible student who requires continued public school educational experience to facilitate his or her successful transition and integration into adult life is eligible for special education services through age 21, inclusive, which, for purposes of the article, means the day before the student's 22nd birthday. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/95/HB/PDF/09500HB0817lv.pdf
Title: H.B. 817
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet

ORSigned into law 06/2007P-12Defines "Person in parental relationship" as an adult who has physical custody of a child or resides in the same household as the child, interacts with the child daily, provides the
child with food, clothing, shelter and incidental necessaries and provides the child with necessary care, education and discipline. "Person in parental relationship" does not mean a
person with a power of attorney or other written delegation of parental responsibilities if the person does not have other evidence of a parental relationship.
Also, this bill authorizes a district to admit an otherwise eligible person who is not receiving special education and who has not yet attained 21 years of age prior to the beginning of the current school year if the person is shown to be in need of additional education in order to receive a diploma.
http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measpdf/sb0200.dir/sb0215.en.pdf
Title: S.B. 215
Source: http://www.leg.state.or.us

NCSigned into law 06/2007P-12Modifies school admission requirements. Moves cut-off date for enrollment to August 31 from October 16.
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/House/HTML/H150v0.html
Title: H.B. 150
Source: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us

TXSigned into law 05/2007P-12Permits students who are at least 21 years of age and under 26 years of age on the first day of September of any school year to be eligible for funding under the Foundation School Program for the purposes of completing the requirements for a high school diploma. Persons are not eligible if they engage in conduct that would require a disciplinary placement if the person were under the age of 21. Clarifies the eligibility for public school prekindergarten programs of certain children who are or were in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. School districts would be prohibited from placing a student who is 21 years of age or older who has not attended school in the three preceding school years in a classroom, cafeteria, or school activity with students who are 18 years of age or younger.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/HB01137F.pdf
Title: H.B. 1137
Source: http://www.legis.state.tx.us

WASigned into law 04/2007P-12Finds that the state's commitment to providing a basic education for all public school students under the age of twenty-one should continue until a student earns a diploma.
Therefore the legislature intends to expand high school completion programs at community and technical colleges for older students who have not yet received a diploma but are eligible for state basic education support. Provides that, in accordance with this act, each community or technical college shall make available courses or a program of study, on the college campus, designed to enable students under the age of twenty-one who have completed all state and local high school graduation requirements except the certificate of academic achievement or certificate of individual achievement to complete their high school education and obtain a high school diploma. The governor vetoed a section petaining to a path to recieve an alternate diploma that would be given without passage of the state's exit exam.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202007/1051.SL.pdf
Title: H.B. 1051
Source: http://www.leg.wa.gov

ARSigned into law 03/2007P-12Lowers the age of enrollment in kindergarten in public school from 5 by September 1 in 2009-2010, for the 2010-2011 school year
the cutoff age would be August 15; 2011-2012 and afterwards, 5 on or before August 1 of the year they are seeking initial enrollment.
(Act No. 462)
http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2007/public/SB217.pdf
Title: S.B. 217
Source: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us

SDSigned into law 03/2007P-12Amends 13-28-2 to read: Any child who is five years old on the first day of September is eligible for enrollment in kindergarten during that school year. Any child who is six years old by September first is eligible for enrollment in first grade during that school year. Any child who transfers from another state may proceed in a continuous educational program without interruption.Deletes the provision that any child in a kindergarten or prekindergarten program who was in compliance with the statutory eligibility dates in effect at the time of his enrollment (5 by September 1) may proceed in a continuous educational program without interruption.Deletes provision that any child who is six years old by September first is eligible for enrollment in first grade during that school year. Deletes provision "Any child under the age of five is eligible for admittance to a nursery school."
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2007/bills/SB33SED.pdf
Title: S.B. 33
Source: http://legis.state.sd.us

NVAdopted 01/2006P-12Establishes rules regarding maximum age for a high school pupil in Nevada -- to allow for basic support apportionment for pupils who are over the normal age of a high school senior where an 18, 19 or 20 year old may need an extra year to complete required credits for high school graduation.
http://www.leg.state.nv.us/register/2005Register/R211-05A.pdf
Title: NAC 387.345
Source: http://www.leg.state.nv.us

COSigned into law 04/2005P-12Requires districts to provide written notification to parents of a high school dropout who is not subject to compulsory education laws. States that the notice should have the goal of attempting to return the student to school and of conveying ot the student's parent the long-term ramifications to the student of dropping out of school.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/3482A575C7AF359787256F81006BF303?Open&file=164_enr.pdf
Title: S.B. 164
Source: www.leg.state.co.us

ILSigned into law 01/2005P-12Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code to allow a child with a disability who has completed four years of high school to participate in the graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion under specified circumstances. Further amends the School Code to make changes to the ballot forms for school board elections. Amends provisions concerning enrollment of pupils below or above the compulsory school age; specifies circumstances under which a school or school district may deny enrollment to a student 17 years of age or older for one semester for failure to meet minimum attendance or academic standards. Defines "reenrolled student". Changes eligibility age for graduation incentives program to "below the age of 20". http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300HB0757enr&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=1162&DocNum=757&GAID=3&Session=
Title: H.B. 757
Source: StateNet

ILSigned into law 08/2004P-12Increases the compulsory school age from 16 to 17 years of age, with exceptions. Provides that certain provisions that apply to truant officers apply to the regional superintendent of schools or his designee in a school district that does not have a truant officer. Makes changes concerning the compliance procedure for persons who fail to send a child to school. Allows certain students to enroll in graduation incentives programs. http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=093-0858
Title: S.B. 2918
Source: Illinois Legislative Web site

ILSigned into law 07/2004P-12Amends the School Code. Allows a school or school district to deny enrollment to a student 16 years of age or older for one semester for failure to meet minimum academic or attendance standards if certain conditions are met. Requires a district to identify, track, and report on the educational progress and outcomes of reenrolled students (defined as dropouts who have reenrolled full-time) as a subset of the district's required reporting on all enrollments. Provides that a reenrolled student who again drops out must not be counted again against a district's dropout rate performance measure. Requires the State Board of Education to set performance standards for programs serving reenrolled students. http://www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=093-0803
Title: S.B. 2115
Source: Illinois Legislative Web site

KSSigned into law 05/2004P-12
Postsec.
Section 1: Allows student age 16 or 17 to be exempt from compulsory attendance requirements if student is regularly enrolled in a school and is concurrently enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution. Makes provisions applicable to children from and after July 1, 1997. http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2004/2795.pdf
Title: H.B. 2795 (multiple provisions)
Source: www.kslegislature.org

RISigned into law 07/2003P-12This act would provide that a child, who has or will have completed six (6) years of life on or before September 1, rather than December 1, of any school year, shall be eligible to attend first grade. This act would take effect on January 1, 2006.
Title: S.B. 593
Source: StateNet

MESigned into law 05/2003P-12Regards age eligibility for enrollment in a public secondary school; authorizes the Commissioner of Education to waive on a case-by-case basis waivers of age requirements to allow students who have reached 20 years of age before the start of the school year to enroll as public secondary school students. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/billdocs/LD059201.doc
Title: S.P. 201
Source: StateNet

MSSigned into law 03/2003P-12Provides that the Compulsory School Attendance Law shall apply to any 5-year-old as of September 1st of an academic year, and who is already enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program (minimum compulsory school age remains 6 for those children who are not enrolled in full-day public kindergarten programs.) Parent may disenroll child from full-day kindergarten program once, and such child will not be a compulsory-school-age child until the child's sixth birthday. Specifies that no child may be admitted to kindergarten who has not turned 5 on or before September 1 of that academic year, and that no child may be admitted to first grade who has not turned 6 on or before September 1 of that academic year. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2003/html/SB/2300-2399/SB2394SG.htm
Title: S.B. 2394
Source: billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2003