By Ms. St. Fleur of Boston, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 576) of Marie P. St. Fleur and others for legislation to increase to eighteen years the mandatory age for students attending schools in the Commonwealth.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

 

Marie P. St. Fleur

Barbara A. L'Italien

Matthew C. Patrick

John F. Quinn

Stephen R. Canessa

John P. Fresolo

Denise Provost

Benjamin Swan

Gloria L. Fox

Willie Mae Allen

William Lantigua

Linda Dorcena Forry

William N. Brownsberger

William Smitty Pignatelli

Edward M. Augustus, Jr.

Elizabeth A. Malia

Richard T. Moore

Cory Atkins

Christine E. Canavan

Bruce E. Tarr

Alice Hanlon Peisch

 

 

 

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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 An Act relative to increasing the mandatory school age .

 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 

                SECTION 1. Section 1B of chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the 20th paragraph, lines 99-102 inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following:— The board shall establish the permissible and mandatory ages for school attendance; provided, that such mandatory maximum age shall be the age of 18, or until graduation from high school or attainment of the equivalent thereof, whichever occurs first. 

                Any individual who (A) attends or last attended a public school; (B) is at least sixteen (16) years of age but less than eighteen (18) years of age; and (C) has not completed the requirements for graduation; wishes to withdraw from school before graduation, he or she may withdraw from school only if all of the following conditions are met;   

(1)     An exit interview is conducted.

(2)     The individual's parent consents to the withdrawal.

(3)     The school principal approves of the withdrawal.

(4)     The withdrawal is due to: (A) financial hardship and the individual must be

employed to support the individual's family or a dependent; (B) illness; or (C) an order by a court that has jurisdiction over the child.  During the exit interview, the school principal shall provide to the student and the student's parent a copy of statistics compiled by the department concerning the likely consequences of life without a high school diploma, including a reduction of future earning and an increased likelihood of unemployment in the future.

 

                SECTION 2. Chapter 741 of the Acts of 1965 is hereby repealed.