Senate Bill 182: Lowers Compulsory Attendance Age from 7 to 5

SB 182 will lower the compulsory attendance age for entry into school from 7 to 5 years of age. This requirement will apply to all children, whether their parents planned to send them to public school or private school or homeschool. SB 182 was debated in the Education Committee on February 25. Many of you made phone calls and sent emails prior to that hearing, asking the committee to vote against lowering the compulsory school attendance age to 5.

Although we would rather have the age of mandatory school attendance remain at age 7, Nevada Homeschool Network (NHN) and HSLDA have proffered an amendment to the bill sponsor that would give parents an option to opt out of the mandatory attendance requirement. This would accommodate parents who do not desire to have their children begin formal education at age 5.