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Information
Is my child required to attend school? Minnesota’s
Compulsory Education Law (120A.22)
Under the Compulsory Education Law, students between
the ages of 7 and 16 are required to receive instruction
each year. Children under age 7 who are enrolled in kin-
dergarten or a higher grade are also subject to the law.
Subdivision 1: Parental responsibility. The parent of a
child is primarily responsible for assuring that the child
acquires knowledge and skills that are essential for
effective citizenship.
Subdivision 5: Ages and terms. (a) Every child between
7 and 16 years of age must receive instruction. Except as
provided in subdivision 6, a parent may withdraw a child
under the age of 7 from enrollment at any time.
(d) When the pupil enrolls, the enrolling official must pro-
vide the parent or guardian who enrolls the pupil with a
written explanation of the provisions of this subdivision.
(e) A pupil under the age of 7 who is withdrawn from
enrollment in the public school under paragraph (c) is no
longer subject to the compulsory attendance provisions of
this chapter.
(f) In a district that had adopted a policy to exempt
children under 7 from this subdivision, the district’s
chief attendance officer must keep the truancy enforce-
ment authorities supplied with a copy of the board’s
current policy certified by the clerk of the board.
Subdivision 6: Children under 7. (a) Once a pupil under
the age of 7 is enrolled in kindergarten or a higher grade
in a public school, the pupil is subject to the compul-
sory attendance provisions of this chapter and section
120A.34, unless the board of the district in which the
pupil is enrolled has a policy that exempts children under
7 from this subdivision.
(b) In a district in which children under 7 are subject
to compulsory attendance under this subdivision,
paragraphs (c) to (e) apply.
(c) A parent or guardian may withdraw the pupil from
enrollment in the school for good cause by notifying
the district. Good cause includes, but is not limited to,
enrollment of the pupil in another school, as defined in
subdivision 4, or the immaturity of the child.
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