{"id":377073,"date":"2016-03-31T21:37:12","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/washington-law\/washington-compulsory-education-laws.html"},"modified":"2020-09-01T13:13:29","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T18:13:29","slug":"washington-compulsory-education-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/washington-law\/washington-compulsory-education-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Washington Compulsory Education Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Washington Compulsory Education Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Formal education is a requirement for children of a certain age in all states, whether it’s public school, private school, home school<\/a>, or other types of instruction. Compulsory education laws were enacted in the U.S. around 1900 in order to protect child welfare. By 1918, every state had some form of a compulsory attendance law on the books.<\/p>\r\n

What Are Washington’s Compulsory Education Laws?<\/h2>\r\n

Washington’s compulsory education laws<\/a> require children between the ages of eight (8) and 18 to attend school, with some exceptions.<\/p>\r\n

Exceptions to The Compulsory Education Law<\/h2>\r\n

For example, a child 16 or older can be legally exempt from attending school if he is she is either employed or has completed his or her graduation requirements early.<\/p>\r\n

Penalties for Truancy<\/h2>\r\n

When a child doesn’t attend school as required by law he or she is considered truant<\/a>. That’s when the juvenile court system<\/a> gets involved.<\/p>\r\n

The court may order attendance at current school, alternative school, another public school, a skill center, drop-out prevention program, a private school or education center, referral to a Community Truancy Board, or completion of a drug assessment test<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

The court may order a student to report to county detention or order parents to perform community service and\/or pay a fine of up to $25 per day for each unexcused absence, if the court rules that a student or parent violated a court order.<\/p>\r\n

The main provisions of Washington compulsory education laws, and penalties for noncompliance, are listed in the following chart. See FindLaw’s Compulsory Education<\/a> and Types of Schools<\/a> sections to learn more.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code Section<\/td>\r\n28A.225.01 0; 090<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Age at Which School Attendance is Required<\/td>\r\nBetween 8 and 18<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Exceptions to Attendance Requirements<\/td>\r\nEnrolled in private school; home-based instruction; physically\/mentally incapable of attending; child is 16 or older and legally employed or has met graduation requirements or has received certificate of educational competence<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Home School Provisions<\/td>\r\nInstruction in occupational education, science, math, language, social studies, history, health, writing, reading, spelling, and appreciation for art and music; must be supervised by certified person or by a parent with 45 college level credit hours<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Penalties on Parents for Noncompliance<\/td>\r\n$25 for each day of unexcused absence and\/or community service; attendance officer may, through school district’s attorney, petition juvenile court to assume jurisdiction<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\r\n

Note:<\/i><\/b> State laws are constantly changing — contact a Washington education attorney<\/a> or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.<\/i><\/p>\r\n

Research the Law<\/h2>\r\n