H621 Summary

• Raises North Carolina's compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18 years old in four phases: 16.5 years for 2022-2023 school year, 17 years for 2023-2024, 17.5 years for 2024-2025, and 18 years for 2025-2026.

• Updates juvenile delinquency laws to align with the phased increase in compulsory attendance age, making school truancy violations apply to the new age thresholds.

• Establishes a new "completion rate indicator" for school performance grades measuring students who graduate, earn an adult high school diploma, or earn an adult high school equivalency diploma within five years of entering high school.

• Requires the State Board of Education to share data by June 15 each year with the State Board of Community Colleges identifying students who unenrolled from public schools within five years of high school entry, and requires community colleges to report back on adult diploma attainment by July 15.

• Repeals Section 8.21 of S.L. 2016-94 and applies the completion rate indicator to school performance scores beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.