Associated Press
Alaska children would have to attend school from age six to 18 under a measure approved by the Senate Education Committee.
At present, school attendance is required from age seven to 16. Supporters of the change, including education officials, see it as key to reaching children at a younger age and avoiding perceptions that the state sanctions quitting when they’re 16.
Exceptions include students who graduate at an age younger than 18.
The state Department of Education estimates the change would cost the state $14.8 million next fiscal year.
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