Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 165. Age range for compulsory school attendance and special education services, and policies on year-round schools and kindergarten programs, by state: Selected years, 1997 through 2008
State Compulsory attendance Compulsory special education services, 19971 Year-round schools, 2006 Kindergarten education,
2008
2000 2002 2004 2006 2007 Has policy on year-round schools Has districts with year-round schools School districts
required to offer
Attendance required
Program Full-day program
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Alabama 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16 2  7 to 16   7 to 16   6 to 21     Yes     X    
Alaska 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16 2  7 to 16   7 to 16   3 to 22     Yes          
Arizona 6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  3 to 22     X 3,4       
Arkansas 5 to 17 2  5 to 17 2  5 to 17   5 to 17   5 to 17   5 to 21   X Yes     X   X
California 6 to 18 2  6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   Birth to 21   X Yes X        
                                       
Colorado     7 to 16   7 to 16   6 to 17   3 to 21     X        
Connecticut 7 to 16   7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  5 to 18 5  5 to 18 5  Under 21 6    X       X
Delaware 5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 16 2  5 to 16   5 to 16   3 to 20     Yes X   X 7  X
District of Columbia   5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18     (8) (8) X       X
Florida 6 to 16 9  6 to 16 9  6 to 16 9  6 to 16 9  6 to 16 9    X Yes X       X
                                       
Georgia 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   Under 21 6    Yes     X    
Hawaii 6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   Under 20   X Yes X        
Idaho 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   3 to 21     Yes          
Illinois 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 17   3 to 21   X Yes X 3       
Indiana 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  3 to 22     Yes X        
                                       
Iowa 6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   Under 21   X Yes X        
Kansas 7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  (10)     X        
Kentucky 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16 2  6 to 16   6 to 16   Under 21     Yes X        
Louisiana 7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 17 2  7 to 18 2  7 to 18 2  3 to 21     Yes     X   X
Maine 7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 17 2  7 to 17 2  7 to 17 2  5 to 19 11    X        
                                       
Maryland 5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 16   Under 21   X     X   X
Massachusetts 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  3 to 21     X        
Michigan 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   Under 26   X Yes X 3,12       
Minnesota 7 to 18 2  7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  Under 22     X        
Mississippi 6 to 17   6 to 17   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 17   Birth to 20         X    
                                       
Missouri 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   Under 21     Yes X        
Montana 7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  3 to 18     X        
Nebraska 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   6 to 18   6 to 18   Birth to 21     Yes X        
Nevada 7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 17   7 to 18 2,5  Under 22     Yes X       X
New Hampshire 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16 13  3 to 21              
                                       
New Jersey 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   5 to 21         X 14   
New Mexico 5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18 2  5 to 18 2  5 to 18 2  (15)   X Yes X       X
New York 6 to 16 2  6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16 16  6 to 16 16  Under 21              
North Carolina 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   5 to 20   X Yes     X    
North Dakota 7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   7 to 16   3 to 20 17             
                                       
Ohio 6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   Under 22   X X 3      X
Oklahoma 5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18   3 and up 18    Yes X   (19)   X
Oregon 7 to 18   7 to 18   7 to 18 2  7 to 18   7 to 18   3 to 21     Yes X        
Pennsylvania 8 to 17   8 to 17   8 to 17 2  8 to 17 2  8 to 17 2  6 to 21   X          
Rhode Island 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   3 to 21     X       X
                                       
South Carolina 5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 16   5 to 17 5  5 to 17 5  3 to 21         X 3,4  X
South Dakota 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 18 5,20  Under 21   X X       X
Tennessee 6 to 17   6 to 17   6 to 17   6 to 17 5  6 to 17 5  3 to 21   X Yes X       X
Texas 6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   3 to 21   X Yes X        
Utah 6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   3 to 22     Yes X        
                                       
Vermont 7 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  3 to 21     X        
Virginia 5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18   5 to 18 2  5 to 18 2  2 to 21     Yes X       X
Washington 8 to 17 2  8 to 17 2  8 to 16 2  8 to 18   8 to 18   3 to 21 21    Yes X        
West Virginia 6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   6 to 16   5 to 21   X Yes     X   X
Wisconsin 6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   6 to 18   Under 21     Yes X   X 22   
Wyoming 6 to 16 2  6 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  7 to 16 2  3 to 21     Yes X        
X State has policy.
— Not available.
1  Most states have a provision whereby education is provided up to a certain age or completion of secondary school, whichever comes first.
2  Child may be exempted from compulsory attendance if he/she meets state requirements for early withdrawal with or without meeting conditions for a diploma or equivalency.
3  State requires districts with full-day programs to offer half-day programs.
4  Districts may apply for exemptions from the requirement.
5  Parent/guardian may request a waiver to delay entry to a later age per state law/regulation.
6  Under 21 or until child graduates from high school.
7  Full-day requirement becomes effective upon each district's confirming vote and upon specific funding appropriation by the General Assembly.
8  State did not participate in the 2006 online survey.
9  Attendance is compulsory until age 18 for Manatee County students, unless they earn a high school diploma prior to reaching their 18th birthday.
10  To be determined by rules and regulations adopted by the state board.
11  Must be 5 before October 1, and not 20 before start of school year.
12  State requires a "program," not necessarily a traditional kindergarten program.
13  Compulsory attendance age becomes 18 effective July 1, 2009.
14  Abbott districts only (31). These are districts covered by New Jersey Supreme Court rulings requiring the state to implement comprehensive programs and reforms to improve the education of students in the poorest schools.
15  School-age unless otherwise provided by law.
16  New York City and Buffalo require school attendance until age 17 unless employed.
17  Must not be 21 by September 1.
18  Children from birth through age 2 are eligible for additional services. Eligibility for special education services ceases upon completion of a secondary education program; no age limit.
19  Beginning in 2011–12, with the option for districts to transfer intradistrict, interdistrict, or to a licensed child care provider.
20  Compulsory leaving age becomes 18 effective July 1, 2009; compulsory entry age becomes 5 effective July 1, 2010.
21  Student may complete school year if 21st birthday occurs while attending school.
22  Districts are required to provide full-day kindergarten for low-income students.
NOTE: The Education of the Handicapped Act (EHA) Amendments of 1986 make it mandatory for all states receiving EHA funds to serve all 3- to 18-year-old disabled children.
SOURCE: Council of Chief State School Officers, Key State Education Policies on PK–12 Education, 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006; California Department of Education, Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office, School Attendance Review Boards, Feb. 2001; School District of Manatee County Policy and Procedures, retrieved September 18, 2008, from http:// www.manatee.k12.fl.us/policy_procedure/pdfs/chapters/Chapter_5.pdf ; Education Com-mission of the States, ECS StateNotes, Attendance: Compulsory School Age Requirements, retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/issues.asp , and Kindergarten: State Statutes Regarding Kindergarten (prepublication copy of 2008 update); and supplemental information from several state education websites. (This table was pre-pared September 2008.)

2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest