An Act To Raise the High School Dropout Age
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0390
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: THOMPSON, BARSTOW, CUMMINGS, FISCHER

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 390 
H.P.31O 
House of Representatives, January 30, 2003 
An Act To Raise the High School Dropout Age 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative THOMPSON of China. 
'77l~ /J7·7110£~ 
Mll..LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, CUMMINGS of Portland, 
FISCHER of Presque Isle. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20·A MRSA §3271, sub·§l, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 
490, §8, is amended to read: 
1. 
Required 
attendance. 
Persons 
residing 
in 
the 
unorganized territory who are at least 7 and under l7 18 years of 
age shall attend a public day elementary or secondary school or 
an approved private school during the time it is in session. 
Sec. 2. 20·A MRSA §3271. sub·§3. as amended by PL 1989, c. 
415, §§3 and 4, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Exceptions. 
Attendance at school or 
an alternative 
program shall ~ not se required of the-~ellewiB~: 
A. 
A person who has graduated from high school before his 
l7th that person's 18th birthday; 
B. 
A person who is at least l§ 17 years e;bEl of age, has 
completed the 9th 11th grade and has permission to leave 
school to participate in a suitable program of training or 
combined work and study from a parent and the commissioner; 
and 
c. 
A person who has been adjudged an habitual truant and 
has 
been excused 
from 
attendance pursuant 
to procedures 
established by the commissioner. 
Sec. 3. 20·A MRSA §5001.A, sub.§l, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 
806, §49, is amended to read: 
1. 
Requirement. 
Persons 7 years of age or older and under 
18 years of age shall attend a public day school during the 
time it is in regular session. 
Sec. 4. 20·A MRSA §5001·A, sub·§2, as amended by PL 1989, c. 
415, §13, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Exceptions. 
Attendance 
at 
school 
shall is 
not 
se 
required of the-~ellewiB~: 
A. 
A person who graduates from high school before that 
person's 17th birthday; 
B. 
A person who has: 
(1) 
Reached the-a~e-eE-l§ 17 years of age or completed 
the 9th 11th grade; 
Page l-LR1180(1) 
(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 
l+~H 
18th 
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; 
C. 
A person whose absence is excused 
The parent of an habitual truant who 
waiver of this paragraph, may appeal to 
accordance with section 5051, subsection 
under section 5051. 
has been denied 
a 
the commissioner in 
2, paragraph E; or 
D. 
A person 
who 
has 
matriculated and is attending 
an 
accredited, 
pe6~-6eeeBaaFY postsecondary, 
degree-granting 
institution 
as 
a 
fUll-time 
student. 
An 
exception 
to 
attendance in public school under this paragraph must be 
approved by the commissioner. 
SUMMARY 
This bill raises the age until which a student is required 
to attend school from 17 to 18.