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JEA

COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGES

Compulsory education is essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people and the continued prosperity of our nation. Maintaining regular student attendance is necessary to achieve the goal of an educated citizenry. Public schools should ensure the rights of access for all school-age persons to an appropriate educational opportunity and, when necessary, should develop alternatives to regular school curricula for those children and youth at risk of becoming dropouts and those who may have left school.

Under state law, full-time school attendance is required of all children from their 7th to their 17th birthday. Parents are responsible for the attendance of students who are under 17 years of age. The Board shall work with families in an effort to ensure compliance.

State law does provide for exceptions to compulsory school attendance:

A. A person who graduates from high school before their 17th birthday;

B. A person who meets the following five conditions:

a. Reached the age of 15 years or completed the 9th grade;

b. Permission to leave school from that person’s parent;

c. Been approved by the principal for suitable program of work

and study or training;

d. Permission to leave school from the Board or its designee; and

e. Agreed in writing with that person’s parent and the Board or its designee to meet annually until that person’s 17th birthday to review that person’s educational needs. When the request to be excused from school has been denied pursuant to this paragraph, the student’s parent may appeal to the Commissioner of Education.

C. A person whose absence is excused under section 5051, guidelines for habitual truancy; or

D. A person who has matriculated and is attending an accredited, post-secondary, degree-granting institution as a full-time student. An exception to the attendance in public school under this paragraph must be approved by the Commissioner.

Alternative to Attendance at Public Day School

A. Equivalent instruction alternatives are as follows:

1. A person shall be excused from attending a public day school if the person obtains equivalent instruction in:

a)         A private school approved by the State of Maine for attendance purposes;

b)         A private school recognized by the State Department of Education as providing equivalent instruction;

c)         A manner providing equivalent instruction through home instruction approved by the Commissioner of Education; and

d)         Any other manner arranged for by the Board and approved by the Commissioner.

2. A student shall be credited with attendance at a private school only if a certificate showing the name, residence and attendance of the person at the school, signed by the person or persons in charge of the school, has been filed with the school officials of the administrative unit in which the student resides.

3. A person who wishes to obtain approval of equivalent instruction under rules established by the Commissioner for equivalent instruction through home instruction (home schooling) shall simultaneously submit a completed application for approval to the local board and to the Commissioner in accordance with State Law (5001 and 5021).

B. A person may be excused from attendance at a public day school by the Superintendent to attend an alternative program in another school administrative unit, an approved private alternative program, or adult education programs where appropriate.

Excusable Absence

A person’s absence is excused when the absence is for the following reasons:

A. Personal illness;

B. An appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day;

C. Observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day;

D. A family emergency; or

E. A planned absence for a personal or educational purpose which has been approved by the building principal.

Secondary school students 20 years of age or more will only be admitted to the school unit with prior Board approval. Special Education students may receive services through the school year in which they turn 20 years of age as determined by the Pupil Evaluation Team.

Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA § 5001-A, et seq.

CH. 125.23 B, 5, 1 (Maine Dept. of Ed. Rule)

Adopted