F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 131 2024
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to compulsory school attendance;
3 amending s. 1003.21, F.S.; revising the required age
4 for compulsory school attendance from 16 to 18 years
5 of age; deleting a requirement that a student's parent
6 sign a declaration of intent to terminate school
7 enrollment; deleting a requirement that the school
8 district notify a student's parent upon receipt of
9 such declaration; amending s. 1002.20, F.S.; providin g
10 that adult education high school equivalency programs
11 meet specified attendance requirements; conforming
12 provisions to changes made by the act; amending s.
13 1003.51, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes made
14 by the act; providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (c) of subsection (1) of
19 section 1003.21, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
20 1003.21 School attendance.—
21 (1)(a)1. All children who have attained the age o f 6 years
22 or who will have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of
23 any school year or who are older than 6 years of age but who
24 have not attained the age of 18 16 years, except as otherwise
25 provided, are required to attend school regularly during the
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HB 131 2024
26 entire school term.
27 2. Children who will have attained the age of 5 years on
28 or before September 1 of the school year are eligible for
29 admission to public kindergartens during that school year under
30 rules adopted by the district school board.
31 (c) A student who attains the age of 18 16 years during
32 the school year is not subject to compulsory school attendance
33 beyond the date upon which he or she attains that age if the
34 student files a formal declaration of intent to terminate school
35 enrollment with the district school board. Public school
36 students who have attained the age of 18 16 years and who have
37 not graduated are subject to compulsory school attendance until
38 the formal declaration of intent is filed with the district
39 school board. The declaration must acknowledge that terminating
40 school enrollment is likely to reduce the student's earning
41 potential and must be signed by the student and the student's
42 parent. The school district shall notify the student's parent of
43 receipt of the student's declaration of intent to terminate
44 school enrollment. The student's certified school counselor or
45 other school personnel shall conduct an exit interview with the
46 student to determine the reasons for the student's decision to
47 terminate school enrollment and actions that could be taken to
48 keep the student in school. The student's certified school
49 counselor or other school personnel shall inform the student of
50 opportunities to continue his or her education in a different
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51 environment, including, but not limited to, adult e ducation and
52 high school equivalency examination preparation. Additionally,
53 the student shall complete a survey in a format prescribed by
54 the Department of Education to provide data on student reasons
55 for terminating enrollment and actions taken by schools to keep
56 students enrolled.
57 Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of
58 section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
59 1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
60 school students must receive accurate and timely info rmation
61 regarding their child's academic progress and must be informed
62 of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
63 students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
64 rights including, but not limited to, the following:
65 (2) ATTENDANCE.—
66 (a) Compulsory school attendance.—The compulsory school
67 attendance laws apply to all children between the ages of 6 and
68 18 16 years, as provided in s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a), and, in
69 accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.21(1) and (2)(a):
70 1. A student who attains the age of 18 16 years during the
71 school year has the right to file a formal declaration of intent
72 to terminate school enrollment if the declaration is signed by
73 the parent. The parent has the right to be notified by the
74 school district of the district's receipt of the student's
75 declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment.
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76 2. Students who become or have become married or who are
77 pregnant and parenting have the right to attend school and
78 receive the same or equivalent educational instruction as other
79 students.
80 (b) Regular school attendance.—Parents of students who
81 have attained the age of 6 years by February 1 of any school
82 year but who have not attained the age of 18 16 years must
83 comply with the compulsory school attendance laws. Parents have
84 the option to comply with the school attendance laws by
85 attendance of the student in a public school, including an adult
86 education high school equivalency program; a parochial,
87 religious, or denominational school; a private school; a h ome
88 education program; or a private tutoring program, in accordance
89 with the provisions of s. 1003.01(16).
90 Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (4) of section
91 1003.51, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
92 1003.51 Other public educational services.—
93 (4) Each district school board shall:
94 (a) Notify students in juvenile justice education programs
95 who attain the age of 16 years of the law regarding compulsory
96 school attendance and make available the option of enrolling in
97 an education program to attain a Florida high school diploma by
98 taking the high school equivalency examination before release
99 from the program. The Department of Education shall assist
100 juvenile justice education programs with becoming high school
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101 equivalency examination centers.
102 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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Statutes affected: H 131 Filed: 1003.51