House Bill 206 - Summary

• Raises the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18 years old over a five-year period, with implementation beginning in the 2024-2025 school year and reaching 18 years by the 2027-2028 school year.

• Updates attendance requirements across public schools, regional schools, laboratory schools, and higher education institutions to reflect the incrementally increasing dropout age.

• Establishes a completion rate indicator for school performance grades that awards one-half point for each percent of students who graduate from high school, 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 provide the State Board of Community Colleges with data on students who unenrolled before graduation, and requires the community college board to report back students who earned adult high school equivalency diplomas.

• Repeals Section 8.21 of S.L. 2016-94 and sets staggered implementation dates beginning July 1, 2023, with completion rate indicators effective for the 2023-2024 school year.