H.F. 28 Section 1. Section 299.1A, subsection 1, Code 2013, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 this 3 section and section 299.2 , a child who has reached the age of 4 six and is under sixteen through seventeen years of age by 5 September 15 is of compulsory attendance age. However, if a 6 child enrolled in a school district or accredited nonpublic 7 school reaches the age of sixteen on or after September 15, the 8 child remains of compulsory age until the end of the regular 9 school calendar. 10 b. A child who will receive competent private instruction 11 in accordance with chapter 299A and who reaches the age of 12 six by September 15 is of compulsory attendance age. A child 13 receiving such private instruction is of compulsory attendance 14 age until the age of sixteen if the child reaches age 15 sixteen before September 15. A child receiving such private 16 instruction who reaches age sixteen on or after September 15 17 remains of compulsory attendance age until the end of the 18 school year. 19 Sec. 2. Section 299.1A, Code 2013, is amended by adding the 20 following new subsection: 21 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. An individual who reaches the age of 22 eighteen on or after September 15 during the school year and 23 intends to terminate school enrollment prior to graduation is 24 encouraged to file with the board of directors of the school 25 district or the accredited nonpublic school of enrollment a 26 formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment 27 and, to the degree possible, participate in an exit interview 28 pursuant to paragraph “b” and complete a survey in accordance 29 with paragraph “c” . The school district or accredited nonpublic 30 school shall make every effort to notify the individual’s 31 parent or guardian of receipt of the individual’s declaration 32 of intent to terminate school enrollment. 33 b. To the degree possible, a guidance counselor or 34 other school personnel designated by the school district or 35 -1- LSB 1243YH (2) 85 kh/nh 1/ 5

H.F. 28 accredited nonpublic school shall conduct an exit interview 1 with the individual to do all of the following: 2 (1) Determine the reasons for the individual’s decision to 3 terminate school enrollment. 4 (2) Discuss actions that could be taken to assist the 5 individual to stay in school. 6 (3) Inform the individual of opportunities to continue the 7 individual’s education in a different environment, including 8 but not limited to adult education and test preparation 9 designed to qualify the individual for a high school 10 equivalency diploma. 11 c. To the degree possible, the individual and the 12 individual’s parent or guardian are encouraged to complete a 13 survey provided by the school district in a format prescribed 14 by the department of education to provide data on the 15 individual’s reasons for terminating enrollment and actions 16 taken by the school to keep the individual enrolled. The 17 survey shall include an open-ended question asking why the 18 individual is dropping out of school. The school district or 19 accredited nonpublic school shall submit the data from the 20 completed surveys to the department of education annually. 21 Sec. 3. Section 299.2, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2013, 22 is amended to read as follows: 23 Section Sections 299.1 and 299.1A shall not apply to any 24 child: 25 Sec. 4. SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE SUPPORT 26 REVIEW. The board of directors of each school district 27 shall, during the school year beginning July 1, 2013, convene 28 a working group comprised of educational and community 29 stakeholders to review financial and programmatic supports for 30 students affected by an increase in the compulsory attendance 31 age from sixteen through seventeen. The working group shall 32 consider, at a minimum, the necessity of expansion of support 33 programs and services for such students, Internet-based at-risk 34 academy courses, summer school offerings, credit recovery 35 -2- LSB 1243YH (2) 85 kh/nh 2/ 5

H.F. 28 efforts, mentoring and tutoring services, before and after 1 school supports, career academies, and at-risk allowable growth 2 provisions, and the use of the instructional support levy. 3 The working group shall include in the comprehensive school 4 improvement plan submitted to the department of education 5 in accordance with section 256.7, subsection 21, a plan for 6 addressing the needs of students at risk of dropping out, 7 including any proposed changes to the local program or funding 8 priorities. 9 Sec. 5. COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE WORKING GROUP. The 10 department of education shall convene a working group 11 comprised of the director of the department of education, or 12 the director’s designee, and other education stakeholders 13 appointed by the department to review supports for students 14 affected by an increase in the compulsory attendance age from 15 sixteen to eighteen years of age. The working group shall 16 consider, at a minimum, the necessity of expansion of support 17 programs and services for such students, online at-risk academy 18 courses, career academies, and current at-risk allowable 19 growth provisions, and full funding of the instructional 20 support levy. The working group shall submit its findings 21 and recommendations, including any proposed changes in policy 22 or statute, to the state board of education and the general 23 assembly by December 15, 2013. 24 Sec. 6. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 25 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 26 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 27 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 28 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 29 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 30 to meet all the state funding-related requirements of section 31 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall 32 be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and 33 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts. 34 Sec. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE. 35 -3- LSB 1243YH (2) 85 kh/nh 3/ 5

H.F. 28 1. Except as provided in subsection 2, this Act takes effect 1 July 1, 2014. 2 2. The section of this Act providing for a compulsory 3 attendance working group takes effect July 1, 2013. 4 EXPLANATION 5 This bill raises the compulsory school attendance age from 6 16 to 17 for students other than those receiving competent 7 private instruction. The bill encourages students, other than 8 those who received competent private instruction, who reach 9 age 18 on or after September 15 and intend to leave school, to 10 file with the school district or accredited nonpublic school 11 a formal declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment 12 and, to the degree possible, participate in an exit interview 13 and complete a survey that will provide data annually to the 14 department of education regarding the reasons students are 15 terminating enrollment. 16 The school district or nonpublic school must make every 17 effort to notify the individual’s parent or guardian of a 18 student’s intent to terminate enrollment. To the degree 19 possible, in conducting the exit interview, school personnel 20 must determine the reasons for the individual’s decision to 21 terminate school enrollment, discuss actions that could be 22 taken to assist the individual to stay in school, and inform 23 the individual of opportunities to continue the individual’s 24 education in a different environment, including but not limited 25 to adult education and test preparation designed to qualify the 26 individual for a high school equivalency diploma. The survey 27 must include an open-ended question asking why the student is 28 dropping out. 29 The bill directs each school district to convene a working 30 group during the 2013-2014 school year to review financial and 31 programmatic supports for students affected by the increase 32 in the compulsory age of attendance. The working group 33 must include in the school district’s comprehensive school 34 improvement plan a plan for addressing the needs of students 35 -4- LSB 1243YH (2) 85 kh/nh 4/ 5

H.F. 28 at risk of dropping out. 1 The bill also directs the department of education to convene 2 a compulsory attendance working group. The working group 3 is to review supports for affected students and to consider 4 the necessity of expanding support programs and services, 5 online at-risk academy courses, career academies, current 6 at-risk allowable growth provisions, and full funding of the 7 instructional support levy. The working group must submit a 8 report to the general assembly and the department of education 9 by December 15, 2013. 10 The bill includes a technical amendment to exempt children 11 who meet conditions existing in Code section 299.2. 12 The provision relating to the compulsory attendance working 13 group takes effect July 1, 2013, while the remainder of the 14 bill takes effect July 1, 2014. 15 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 16 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 17 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 18 district from state school foundation aid received by the 19 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 20 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 21 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 22 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 23 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 24 mandates included in the bill. 25 -5- LSB 1243YH (2) 85 kh/nh 5/ 5