Age range for compulsory school attendance and special education services, and policies on year-round schools and kindergarten programs, by state: Selected years, 2000 through 2018

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Table 234.10.

State	Compulsory attendance														Compulsory special education services, 2004¹		Year-round schools, 2008				Kindergarten programs, 2018
	2000		2002		2004		2006		2010		2015		2017				Has policy on year-round schools		Has districts with year-round schools		School districts required to offer		Attendance required
	2000		2002		2004		2006		2010		2015		2017				Has policy on year-round schools		Has districts with year-round schools		Program	Full-day program	Attendance required
1	2		3		4		5		6		7		8		10		11		12		13	14	15
Alabama	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16		7 to 17		6 to 17	³	6 to 17	³	6 to 21				Yes		X	X
Alaska	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	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	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	3 to 21		—		—		X
Arkansas	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 17	^2,3	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 21		X		Yes		X	X	X
California	6 to 18	²	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 21	⁴	X		Yes		X

Colorado	—		—		7 to 16		7 to 16		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		3 to 21				Yes		X
Connecticut	7 to 16		7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	5 to 18	³	3 to 21				—		X		X
Delaware	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16	²	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		Birth to 20				Yes		X	X	X
District of
Columbia	—		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		—		—		—		X	X	X
Florida	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16	⁵	6 to 16		6 to 16		3 to 21		X		Yes		X

Georgia	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		Birth to 21	⁶			Yes		X
Hawaii	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		Birth to 19				(⁷ )		X	X	X
Idaho	7 to 16		7 to 16		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		6 to 17		6 to 17		3 to 21		X		Yes		X	(⁸ )
Indiana	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		3 to 22				Yes		X

Iowa	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	⁹	6 to 16	⁹	Birth to 21		X		Yes		X		(¹⁰ )
Kansas	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		3 to 21	¹¹			—		X
Kentucky	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18	¹²	6 to 18		Birth to 21				Yes		X
Louisiana	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		3 to 21	¹³			Yes		X	X	X	¹⁴
Maine	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	7 to 17	²	7 to 17		7 to 17		5 to 19	^13,15			—		X		(¹⁰ )

Maryland	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16	³	5 to 17		5 to 18		Birth to 21		X		—		X	X	X
Massachusetts	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16	¹⁶	3 to 21	⁶	(¹⁷ )		—		X		(¹⁰ )
Michigan	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 25		X		Yes
Minnesota	7 to 18	²	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 17		7 to 17		Birth to 21		X		Yes
Mississippi	6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		Birth to 20				—		X	X	(¹⁰ )

Missouri	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 17		7 to 17	^2,3	7 to 17	^2,3	Birth to 20				Yes	¹⁸	X
Montana	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	3 to 18	¹³			—		X	(⁸ )
Nebraska	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		Birth to 20				Yes		X
Nevada	7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 17		7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		Birth to 21	⁴			Yes		X		X	¹⁴
New Hampshire	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21				—

New Jersey	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		5 to 21				—			(¹⁹ )	(¹⁹ )
New Mexico	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	5 to 18		5 to 18		3 to 21		X		Yes		X		X
New York	6 to 16	²	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16	²⁰	6 to 16	²⁰	6 to 16	²⁰	6 to 16	²⁰	Birth to 20				—			(²⁰ )	(²⁰ )
North Carolina	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		5 to 20		X		Yes		X	X
North Dakota	7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		7 to 16		3 to 21				No		X

Ohio	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21		X		—		X		X
Oklahoma	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		Birth to 21	¹³			Yes		X	X	X
Oregon	7 to 18		7 to 18		7 to 18	²	7 to 18		7 to 18		7 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 20				Yes		X
Pennsylvania	8 to 17		8 to 17		8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 17		8 to 17		6 to 21		X	¹⁸	—	¹⁸
Rhode Island	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18	²	5 to 18	²	3 to 21				—		X	X	X

South Carolina	5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 16		5 to 17	³	5 to 17	³	5 to 17		5 to 17		3 to 21	²¹			—		X	X	X
South Dakota	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 18	²	6 to 18	²	6 to 18	²	Birth to 21		X		—		X		X	²²
Tennessee	6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17	³	6 to 17	³	6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21	⁴	X		Yes		X	X	X
Texas	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 19		3 to 21		X		Yes		X
Utah	6 to 18		6 to 18		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	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	3 to 21				—	¹⁸	X
Virginia	5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18		5 to 18	²	5 to 18	^2,3	5 to 18		5 to 18		2 to 21		X		Yes		X		X
Washington	8 to 17	²	8 to 17	²	8 to 16	²	8 to 18		8 to 18		8 to 18		8 to 18		3 to 21	²¹			Yes		X	X
West Virginia	6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 16		6 to 17		6 to 17		6 to 17		5 to 21	²³	X		Yes		X	X	X
Wisconsin	6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		6 to 18		3 to 21				Yes		X		X	²⁴
Wyoming	6 to 16	²	6 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	7 to 16	²	3 to 21				—		X	(²⁵ )	(¹⁰ )

—Not available.

X Denotes that the state has a policy. A blank denotes that the state does not have a policy.

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 Parent/guardian may delay child's entry until a later age per state law/regulation.

⁴ Student may continue in the program if 22nd birthday falls before the end of the school year.

⁵ Attendance is compulsory until age 18 for Manatee County students, unless they earn a high school diploma prior to reaching their 18th birthday.

⁶ Through age 21 or until child graduates with a high school or special education diploma or equivalent.

⁷ Some schools operate on a multitrack system; the schools are open year round, but different cohorts start and end at different times.

⁸ District must offer either a half-day or full-day program.

⁹ Children enrolled in preschool programs (who must be 4 years old on or before September 15) are considered to be of compulsory school attendance age.

¹⁰ Not specified in statute, rules, or regulations.

¹¹ To be determined by rules and regulations adopted by the state board.

¹² All districts adopted a policy to raise the upper compulsory school age from 16 to 18. The policy took effect for most districts in the 2015-16 school year.

¹³ Children from birth through age 2 are eligible for additional services.

¹⁴ Attendance is required unless the student otherwise satisfactorily passes an academic readiness screening upon enrollment in grade 1.

¹⁵ Must be age 5 before October 15 and not age 20 before start of school year.

¹⁶ Each school committee is permitted to establish its own minimum age for school attendance, provided that it is not older than the mandatory minimum age established by the state.

¹⁷ Policies about year-round schools are decided locally.

¹⁸ State did not participate in 2008 online survey. Data are from 2006.

¹⁹ Abbott Districts are required to offer full-day kindergarten and students are required to attend.

²⁰ Local boards of education can require school attendance until age 17 unless employed. In Syracuse, New York City, Rochester, Utica, Buffalo, Cohoes, Watervliet, and Yonkers, districts are required to offer full-day kindergarten and children are required to attend full-day kindergarten.

²¹ Student may complete school year if 21st birthday occurs while attending school.

²² All children must attend kindergarten before age 7.

²³ Children with severe disabilities may begin receiving services at age 3.

²⁴ Children must attend in districts that offer kindergarten.

²⁵ School districts must establish and maintain relationships with a district that offers full-day kindergarten.

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, 2006, and 2008; Education Commission of the States (ECS), ECS StateNotes, Compulsory School Age Requirements, retrieved August 9, 2010, from https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/86/62/8662.pdf; ECS StateNotes, Special Education: State Special Education Definitions, Ages Served, retrieved August 9, 2010, from https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/52/29/5229.pdf; ECS StateNotes, Compulsory School Age Requirements, retrieved May 19, 2015, from https://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/01/18/68/11868.pdf; ECS StateNotes, Age Requirements for Free and Compulsory Education, retrieved July 2, 2018, from https://www.ecs.org/age-requirements-for-free-and-compulsory-education/; ESC StateNotes, Does the state require the district to offer kindergarten and if so, full day or half day? What exemptions exist for districts?, retrieved July 2, 2018, from https://ecs.force.com/mbdata/MBQuest2RTanw?rep=KK3Q1805; ESC StateNotes, Does the state require children to attend kindergarten?, retrieved July 2, 2018, from https://ecs.force.com/mbdata/MBQuest2RTanw?rep=KK3Q1804; and supplemental information retrieved from various state websites. (This table was prepared July 2018.)

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