Source: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/20-a/title20-asec5001-a.html
Timestamp: 2018-05-27 13:25:14
Document Index: 556315060

Matched Legal Cases: ['§5001', '§5001', '§5001', '§5002', '§49', '§49', '§49', '§1', '§3', '§2', '§2', '§9', '§9', '§1', '§14', '§4', '§3', '§1', '§49', '§49', '§49', '§3', '§4', '§5', '§3', '§15', '§16', '§17', '§49', '§56', '§1', '§13', '§1', '§4', '§2', '§1', '§1', '§1', '§3', '§1', '§9']

Title 20-A, §5001-A: Compulsory attendance
§5001-A PDF
§5001-A MS-Word
Subchapter 1: ATTENDANCE
§5002
Attendance at school shall be required of persons in the State as follows. [1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW).]
1. Requirement. Persons 7 years of age or older and under 17 years shall attend a public day school during the time it is in regular session.
[ 1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW) .]
2. Exceptions. Attendance at school shall not be required of the following:
A. A person who graduates from high school before that person's 17th birthday; [1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW).]
(1) Reached the age of 15 years or completed the 9th grade;
(2) Permission to leave school from that person's parent;
(3) Been approved by the principal for a suitable program of work and study or training;
(4) Permission to leave school from the school board or its designee; and
(5) Agreed in writing with that person's parent and the school board or its designee to meet annually until that person's 17th birthday to review that person's educational needs. When the request to be excused from school has been denied pursuant to this paragraph, the student's parent may appeal to the commissioner; [2009, c. 330, §1 (AMD).]
C. [2003, c. 688, Pt. H, §3 (AFF); 2003, c. 688, Pt. H, §2 (RP).]
D. A person who has matriculated and is attending an accredited, post-secondary, degree-granting institution as a full-time student. An exception to attendance in public school under this paragraph must be approved by the commissioner; or [2009, c. 330, §2 (AMD).]
E. A person enrolled in an online learning program or course, unless the person is enrolled in a virtual public charter school as defined in section 2401, subsection 11. [2015, c. 448, §9 (AMD).]
[ 2015, c. 448, §9 (AMD) .]
3. Alternatives to attendance at public day school. Alternatives to attendance at public day school are as follows.
(d) If the home instruction program is discontinued, students of compulsory school age must be enrolled in a public school or an equivalent instruction alternative as provided for in this paragraph. The receiving school shall determine the placement of the student. At the secondary level, the principal of the receiving school shall determine the value of the prior educational experience toward meeting the standards of the system of learning results as established in section 6209. [2007, c. 111, §1 (AMD).]
B. A person may be excused from attendance at a public day school pursuant to section 5104-A or section 8605. [1989, c. 415, §14 (AMD).]
C. [1991, c. 622, Pt. G, §§4, 31, 33 (AFF); 1991, c. 622, Pt. G, §3 (RP).]
[ 2007, c. 111, §1 (AMD) .]
4. Excusable absence. A person's absence is excused when the absence is for the following reasons:
A. Personal illness; [1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW).]
B. An appointment with a health professional that must be made during the regular school day; [1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW).]
C. Observance of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required during the regular school day; [1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW).]
D. A family emergency; [2007, c. 451, §3 (AMD).]
E. A planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been approved; or [2007, c. 451, §4 (AMD).]
F. Education disruption resulting from homelessness, unplanned psychiatric hospitalization, unplanned hospitalization for a medical emergency, foster care placement, youth development center placement or some other out-of-district placement that is not otherwise authorized by either an individualized education plan or other education plan or a superintendent's agreement developed in accordance with section 5205, subsection 2. This paragraph does not apply to a student who is out of school for 10 or more consecutive school days as a result of a planned absence for a reason such as a family event or a medical absence for planned hospitalization or recovery. [2007, c. 451, §5 (NEW).]
[ 2007, c. 451, §§3-5 (AMD) .]
5. Adult responsibility. An adult having a person of compulsory school age under that adult's control shall cause the person to attend school as provided in this section.
[ 1989, c. 415, §15 (AMD) .]
6. Noncompliance.
[ 1989, c. 415, §16 (RP) .]
7. Purpose. Compulsory education is essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people and the continued prosperity of our society and our nation. Maintaining regular student attendance is necessary to achieve the goal of an educated citizenry. Public schools should ensure the rights of access for all school-age persons to an appropriate educational opportunity and, when necessary, should develop alternatives to regular school curricula for those children and youth at risk of becoming dropouts and those who may have left school.
[ 1989, c. 415, §17 (NEW) .]
1983, c. 806, §49 (NEW). 1983, c. 862, §56 (AMD). 1985, c. 123, §§1,2 (AMD). 1987, c. 114, (AMD). 1989, c. 415, §§13-17 (AMD). 1989, c. 537, (AMD). 1991, c. 602, §§1,2 (AMD). 1991, c. 602, §4 (AFF). 1991, c. 622, §G3 (AMD). 1991, c. 622, §§G4,31,33 (AFF). 1995, c. 610, §2 (AFF). 2003, c. 181, §1 (AMD). 2003, c. 533, §1 (AMD). 2003, c. 688, §§H1,2 (AMD). 2003, c. 688, §H3 (AFF). 2007, c. 111, §1 (AMD). 2007, c. 451, §§3-5 (AMD). 2009, c. 330, §§1-3 (AMD). 2015, c. 448, §9 (AMD).