House Bill 3645: Raising Compulsory School Attendance Age and Requiring Daily Attendance Records

Authors:
T.R. Young, Merrill, Hardwick, J.R. Smith, D.C. Smith, Haley, Erickson, Stringer, Stewart, G.R. Smith, Harrison, Gullick, Nanney, Cato, Huggins, Crawford, Spires, Allison, Ballentine, Bannister, Bedingfield, Bingham, Clyburn, Cole, Forrester, Hamilton, Harrell, Hearn, Herbkersman, Horne, Hosey, King, Limehouse, Long, Millwood, Parker, E.H. Pitts, Sandifer, Scott, Sellers, Simrill, Sottile, Toole, White, Wylie, and A.D. Young

Summary:
This bill would raise the compulsory school attendance age in South Carolina from 17 to 18. It would also require school districts and homeschool associations to maintain daily attendance records for homeschool students (obviously from information first provided by the parent) and notify the parent of a child 15-18 when the child had three consecutive or five total unlawful absences. The school district and homeschool associations would also be required to report the absences to the Department of Motor Vehicles, which would suspend the student’s driver’s license. School districts would only maintain daily attendance records for students whose homeschooling was approved by the school district, not students who were members of a homeschool association.

Status:

3/3/2009		(House) Introduced and read first time
3/3/2009		(House) Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works

HSLDA’s Position:
This bill should be opposed.

Action Requested:
None at this time.

Other Resources

Bill Text