Section 14.30.010. When attendance compulsory.

   (a) Every child between seven and 16 years of age shall attend school at the public school in the district in which the child resides during each school term.  Every parent, guardian or other person having the responsibility for or control of a child between seven and 16 years of age shall maintain the child in attendance at a public school in the district in which the child resides during the entire school term, except as provided in (b) of this section.
   (b) This section does not apply if a child
        (1) is provided an academic education comparable to that offered by the public schools in the area, either by
             (A) attendance at a private school in which the teachers are certificated according to AS 14.20.020;
             (B) tutoring by personnel certificated according to AS 14.20.020; or
             (C) attendance at an educational program operated in compliance with AS 14.45.100 - 14.45.200 by a religious or other private school;
        (2) attends a school operated by the federal government;
        (3) has a physical or mental condition that a competent medical authority determines will make attendance impractical;
        (4) is in the custody of a court or law enforcement authorities;
        (5) is temporarily ill or injured;
        (6) has been suspended or expelled under AS 14.03.160 or suspended or denied admittance under AS 14.30.045;
        (7) resides more than two miles from either a public school or a route on which transportation is provided by the school authorities, except that this paragraph does not apply if the child resides within two miles of a federal or private school that the child is eligible and able to attend;
        (8) is excused by action of the school board of the district at a regular meeting or by the district superintendent subject to approval by the school board of the district at the next regular meeting;
        (9) has completed the 12th grade;
        (10) is enrolled in
             (A) a state boarding school established under AS 14.16; or
             (B) a full-time program of correspondence study approved by the department; in those school districts providing an approved correspondence study program, a student may be enrolled either in the district correspondence program or in the centralized correspondence study program;
        (11) is equally well-served by an educational experience approved by the school board as serving the child's educational interests despite an absence from school, and the request for excuse is made in writing by the child's parents or guardian and approved by the principal or administrator of the school that the child attends;
        (12) is being educated in the child's home by a parent or legal guardian.
   (c) If a parent, legal guardian, or other person having the responsibility for or control of the child elects to enroll a child who is six years of age in first grade at a public school, after enrollment, the child is subject to the provisions of (a) and (b) of this section. If the parent or guardian of a child who is six years of age and is enrolled in first grade at a public school determines, within 60 days after the child is enrolled, that the best interests of the child are not being served by enrollment in the first grade, the child may be withdrawn from school, and the provisions of (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to the child until the child is seven years of age.

Authorities

14.03.095;14.30.020;14.30.186;14.30.340;15.10.108

Notes

Recent Bills that will modify this

HB 335 RAISE COMP. SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AGE/TRUANCY

Implemented As

4 AAC 05.035
4 AAC 33.405
4 AAC 33.410
4 AAC 33.420
4 AAC 33.421
4 AAC 33.422
4 AAC 33.426
4 AAC 33.430
4 AAC 33.432
4 AAC 33.440
4 AAC 33.490

References

4 AAC 05.035
4 AAC 06.722
4 AAC 33.490
4 AAC 43.900
AS 14.03.095 Part-time school attendance.
AS 14.30.020 Violations.
AS 14.30.186 Coverage; regulations.
AS 14.30.340 Provision of special education in a private school, home, or hospital setting.
AS 15.10.108 Youth vote ambassador program.

History

(Sec. 37-7-1 ACLA 1949; am Sec. 36 ch 98 SLA 1966; am Sec. 5 ch 71 SLA 1972; am Sec. 5 ch 190 SLA 1975; am Sec. 1 ch 30 SLA 1976; am Sec. 1 ch 10 SLA 1977; am Sec. 4 ch 126 SLA 1978; am Sec. 3 ch 11 SLA 1984; am Sec. 1 ch 78 SLA 1987; am Sec. 4 ch 73 SLA 1988; am Sec. 16 ch 32 SLA 1997; am Sec. 1 ch 68 SLA 1997; am Sec. 16 ch 113 SLA 1997; am Sec. 1 ch 57 SLA 2002)