Children within a certain age range in all states are required to obtain a formal education, with some exceptions. Parents may choose which kind of school is right for their child, which may include home school as well as public, private, or religious schooling. State compulsory education laws typically hold parents responsible if their child is chronically truant, and may prosecute parents for noncompliance. If you home school your child, you are required to provide roughly the same curriculum he or she would receive at a formal institution.
Compulsory Education Laws in Kansas
Children between the age of seven and 18 are required to be enrolled in public, private, denominational, or parochial school. Homeschooling is not specifically mentioned by statute but is a valid option as long as it meets the same standards. Parents who do not comply with the law may be prosecuted, while a county attorney may take other actions to ensure compliance.
Learn more about compulsory education laws in Kansas, including exemptions, in the following chart.
| Code Section | 72-1111, et seq. |
| Age at Which School Attendance is Required | Between 7 and 18 |
| Exceptions to Attendance Requirements | Private, denominational, or parochial school taught by competent instructor; exceptional students may have different requirements |
| Home School Provisions | While homeschooling is not mentioned in Kansas statute, as a matter of practice it falls into the category of "private, denominational, or parachial" school as long as the program meets the same requirements. For all intents and purposes, a homeschool (even if it consists of a single family) is an in-residence private school. Families are encouraged to formall withdraw from the public school in their district, since simply "disappearing" would be considered truancy. |
| Penalties on Parents for Noncompliance | Secretary of Social & Rehabilitative Services investigates matter; determination made as to criminal prosecution or county attorney can make petition alleging child in need of care |
Note: State laws are constantly changing through the enactment of new statutes, decisions from appellate courts, and in other ways. You should contact a Kansas education attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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Kansas Compulsory Education Laws: Related Resources
