| 8 | | - | children prior to entering into first grade; to provide for related matters; to provide for3 |
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| 9 | | - | contingent effectiveness; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4 |
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| 10 | | - | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5 |
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| 11 | | - | SECTION 1.6 |
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| 12 | | - | Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and7 |
|---|
| 13 | | - | secondary education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-150, relating to eligibility for8 |
|---|
| 14 | | - | enrollment for educational programs, by revising subsection (c) as follows:9 |
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| 15 | | - | "(c) All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of this state10 |
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| 16 | | - | prior to their seventh sixth birthday shall become subject to all of the provisions of this11 |
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| 17 | | - | article, the provisions of Code Sections 20-2-690 through 20-2-701, and the rules and12 |
|---|
| 18 | | - | regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory school attendance even13 |
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| 19 | | - | though they have not attained seven six years of age."14 |
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| 20 | | - | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2324S |
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| 21 | | - | SECTION 2.15 |
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| 22 | | - | Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-151, relating to general and career16 |
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| 23 | | - | education programs, by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (b) as follows:17 |
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| 24 | | - | "(1)(A) All local school systems may shall offer a full-day kindergarten program. For18 |
|---|
| 25 | | - | purposes of this subsection, the term 'full-day kindergarten program' means a student19 |
|---|
| 26 | | - | is provided classroom instruction for a minimum of four and one-half hours daily for20 |
|---|
| 27 | | - | a 180 day school year, or the equivalent thereof as determined in accordance with State21 |
|---|
| 28 | | - | Board of Education guidelines.22 |
|---|
| 29 | | - | (B) It is the policy of this state that all children shall attend a full-day kindergarten23 |
|---|
| 30 | | - | program for one school year prior to enrolling in first grade and that the purposes of the24 |
|---|
| 31 | | - | kindergarten such program shall be to provide all children with an equal opportunity25 |
|---|
| 32 | | - | to become prepared for a successful first grade experience and to acquire the foundation26 |
|---|
| 33 | | - | for academic progress throughout the students' educational careers. To be eligible for27 |
|---|
| 34 | | - | enrollment in a state supported kindergarten program, a child must attain the age of five28 |
|---|
| 35 | | - | by September 1, except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of Code Section29 |
|---|
| 36 | | - | 20-2-150;"30 |
|---|
| 37 | | - | SECTION 3.31 |
|---|
| 38 | | - | This Act shall become effective only upon the effective date of a specific appropriation of32 |
|---|
| 39 | | - | funds for purposes of this Act, as expressed in a line item making specific reference to such33 |
|---|
| 40 | | - | Act in a General Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.34 |
|---|
| 41 | | - | SECTION 4.35 |
|---|
| 42 | | - | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.36 |
|---|
| 43 | | - | - 2 - |
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| 10 | + | children prior to entering into first grade; to lower the age of compulsory school attendance3 |
|---|
| 11 | + | from six years old to five years old; to provide for related matters; to provide for contingent4 |
|---|
| 12 | + | effectiveness; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5 |
|---|
| 13 | + | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6 |
|---|
| 14 | + | SECTION 1.7 |
|---|
| 15 | + | Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and8 |
|---|
| 16 | + | secondary education, is amended in Code Section 20-2-150, relating to eligibility for9 |
|---|
| 17 | + | enrollment for educational programs, by revising subsection (c) as follows:10 |
|---|
| 18 | + | "(c) All children enrolled for 20 school days or more in the public schools of this state11 |
|---|
| 19 | + | prior to their seventh |
|---|
| 20 | + | fifth birthday shall become subject to all of the provisions of this12 |
|---|
| 21 | + | article, the provisions of Code Sections 20-2-690 through 20-2-701, and the rules and13 |
|---|
| 22 | + | regulations of the State Board of Education relating to compulsory school attendance even14 |
|---|
| 23 | + | though they have not attained seven five years of age."15 |
|---|
| 24 | + | S. B. 65 |
|---|
| 25 | + | - 1 - 25 LC 49 2031 |
|---|
| 26 | + | SECTION 2. |
|---|
| 27 | + | 16 |
|---|
| 28 | + | Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-151, relating to general and career17 |
|---|
| 29 | + | education programs, by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (b) as follows:18 |
|---|
| 30 | + | "(1)(A) All local school systems may |
|---|
| 31 | + | shall offer a full-day kindergarten program. For19 |
|---|
| 32 | + | purposes of this subsection, the term 'full-day kindergarten program' means a student20 |
|---|
| 33 | + | is provided classroom instruction for a minimum of four and one-half hours daily for21 |
|---|
| 34 | + | a 180 day school year, or the equivalent thereof as determined in accordance with State22 |
|---|
| 35 | + | Board of Education guidelines.23 |
|---|
| 36 | + | (B) It is the policy of this state that all children shall attend a full-day kindergarten24 |
|---|
| 37 | + | program for one school year prior to enrolling in first grade and that the purposes of the25 |
|---|
| 38 | + | kindergarten such program shall be to provide all children with an equal opportunity26 |
|---|
| 39 | + | to become prepared for a successful first grade experience and to acquire the foundation27 |
|---|
| 40 | + | for academic progress throughout the students' educational careers. To be eligible for28 |
|---|
| 41 | + | enrollment in a state supported kindergarten program, a child must attain the age of five29 |
|---|
| 42 | + | by September 1, except as otherwise provided by subsection (b) of Code Section30 |
|---|
| 43 | + | 20-2-150;"31 |
|---|
| 44 | + | SECTION 3.32 |
|---|
| 45 | + | Said chapter is further amended in Code Section 20-2-690.1, relating to mandatory education33 |
|---|
| 46 | + | for children between the ages of six and 16, by revising subsection (a) as follows:34 |
|---|
| 47 | + | "(a) Mandatory attendance in a public school, private school, or home school program shall35 |
|---|
| 48 | + | be required for children between their sixth fifth and sixteenth birthdays. Such mandatory36 |
|---|
| 49 | + | attendance shall not be required where the child has successfully completed all37 |
|---|
| 50 | + | requirements for a high school diploma."38 |
|---|
| 51 | + | S. B. 65 |
|---|
| 52 | + | - 2 - 25 LC 49 2031 |
|---|
| 53 | + | SECTION 4. |
|---|
| 54 | + | 39 |
|---|
| 55 | + | This Act shall become effective only upon the effective date of a specific appropriation of40 |
|---|
| 56 | + | funds for purposes of this Act, as expressed in a line item making specific reference to such41 |
|---|
| 57 | + | Act in a General Appropriations Act enacted by the General Assembly.42 |
|---|
| 58 | + | SECTION 5.43 |
|---|
| 59 | + | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.44 |
|---|
| 60 | + | S. B. 65 |
|---|
| 61 | + | - 3 - |
|---|