Senate File 2184
SENATE FILE
BY TINSMAN
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to compulsory education.
2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
3 TLSB 5575SS 80
4 kh/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 299.1A, Code 2003, is amended to read
1 2 as follows:
1 3 299.1A COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE.
1 4 1. A child who has reached the age of six five and is
1 5 under sixteen eighteen years of age by September 15 is of
1 6 compulsory attendance age. However, if a child enrolled in a
1 7 school district or accredited nonpublic school reaches the age
1 8 of sixteen eighteen on or after September 15, the child
1 9 remains of compulsory age until the end of the regular school
1 10 calendar.
1 11 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a student who is at least
1 12 sixteen years of age, but who is less than eighteen years of
1 13 age, may withdraw from school prior to graduation and shall
1 14 not be considered of compulsory attendance age if both of the
1 15 following conditions are met:
1 16 a. The student, the student's parent or guardian, and the
1 17 principal of the student's school agree to the withdrawal.
1 18 b. An exit interview that meets the requirements of
1 19 subsection 4 has been conducted.
1 20 3. The board of directors of a school district and the
1 21 authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall
1 22 designate the appropriate employees of the school district or
1 23 school to conduct the exit interviews for students in
1 24 accordance with this section.
1 25 4. a. Each exit interview shall be personally attended by
1 26 the following:
1 27 (1) The student's parent or guardian.
1 28 (2) The student.
1 29 (3) The designated appropriate school employee.
1 30 (4) The principal of the school in which the student is
1 31 enrolled.
1 32 b. During the exit interview, the student shall provide
1 33 written acknowledgment of the student's withdrawal from school
1 34 and the student's parent or guardian and the school principal
1 35 shall each provide written consent for the student to withdraw
2 1 from school.
2 2 5. The written acknowledgement of a student's withdrawal
2 3 and written consents to such withdrawal under this section
2 4 shall be maintained by the school district or accredited
2 5 nonpublic school as part of the student's permanent record.
2 6 Sec. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT. Section 25B.2, subsection
2 7 3, shall not apply to this Act.
2 8 EXPLANATION
2 9 This bill expands the compulsory school attendance age from
2 10 ages six to 16 to ages five to 18, but provides a process by
2 11 which a person who is between the ages of 16 and 18 may
2 12 withdraw from school and cease to be considered of compulsory
2 13 age.
2 14 The bill permits a student between the ages of 16 and 18 to
2 15 withdraw from school prior to graduation and not be considered
2 16 of compulsory age if the student, the student's parent or
2 17 guardian, and the student's principal agree to the withdrawal
2 18 and participate in an exit interview, along with a person
2 19 designated by the school district or nonpublic school. During
2 20 the exit interview, the student must provide written
2 21 acknowledgment of the student's withdrawal from school and the
2 22 student's parent or guardian and the school principal must
2 23 each provide written consent for the student to withdraw from
2 24 school.
2 25 The bill requires school boards and the authorities in
2 26 charge of accredited nonpublic schools to designate the
2 27 appropriate employees of the school district or school to
2 28 conduct the exit interviews.
2 29 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
2 30 section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section
2 31 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a political
2 32 subdivision from complying with a state mandate if funding for
2 33 the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified.
2 34 Therefore, political subdivisions are required to comply with
2 35 any state mandate included in the bill.
3 1 LSB 5575SS 80
3 2 kh/pj/5.1