Maine
School Administrative District #31
COMPULSORY
ATTENDANCE
Under
state law, full-time school attendance is required of all children
from their 7th to their 17th birthday except:
A. A
person who graduates from high school before their 17th birthday;
B. A
person who has:
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 Board or its designee; and
5. Agreed
in writing with that person’s parent and the 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; or
C. A
person who has matriculated and is attending an accredited,
post-secondary, degree-granting institution as a full-time student.
An exception to the attendance in public school under this paragraph
must be approved by the Commissioner.
D. A
person enrolled in an online learning program or course, unless the
person is enrolled in a virtual public charter school as defined in
20-A MRSA §2401(11).
Alternatives
to Attendance at Public Day School
A. Equivalent
instruction alternatives are as follows:
1. A
person shall be excused from attending a public day school if the
person obtains equivalent instruction in:
a. A
private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to 20-A MRSA
§ 2901;
b. A
private school recognized by the department as providing equivalent
instruction;
c. A
home instruction program that complies with the requirements of 20-A
MRSA § 5001-A(3)(A)(4); or
d. Any
other manner arranged for by the Board and approved by the
Commissioner.
B. A
person may be excused from attendance at a public day school pursuant
to 20-A MRSA § 5104-A (other public or private alternative programs)
or § 8605 (student attendance in adult education courses).
Credit
for Attendance at a Private School
A
student shall be credited with attendance at a private school only if
a certificate showing the name, residence and attendance of the
person at the school, signed by the person or persons in charge of
the school, has been filed with the school officials of the
administrative unit in which the student resides.
Discontinuation
of Home Instruction
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 by law. 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 Maine’s system of Learning Results.
Excusable
Absence
A
person’s absence is excused when the absence is for the following
reasons:
A. Personal
illness;
B. An
appointment with a health professional that must be made during the
regular school day;
C. Observance
of a recognized religious holiday when the observance is required
during the regular school day;
D. A
family emergency;
A
planned absence for a personal or educational purpose that has been
approved;
F. Education
disruption resulting from homelessness, unplanned psychiatric
hospitalization, unplanned hospitalization for a medical emergency,
foster care placement, youth development placement or some other
out-of-district placement that is not otherwise authorized by either
any individual education plan or a superintendents’ student
transfer agreement. “Education disruption” 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.
Parents
are responsible for the school attendance of students who are under
17 years of age. The Board shall work with families in an effort to
ensure compliance.
Secondary
school students 20 years of age or more will only be admitted to the
school unit with prior Board approval.
Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA
§ 5001-A; 5003; 5201
Ch.
125 § 8.06 (Maine Dept. of Ed. Rules)
Cross
Reference: IHBG - Home Schooling
JFC
- Student Withdrawal From School/Dropout Prevention Committee
JHB
- Truancy
First
Reading: 03/21/2018
Second
Reading: 04/24/2018