What’s the Legal Education Requirement for Maine Children?

Even though I am a history nerd who thinks it would be cool to live in a different time period, I am glad that I grew up in the present.

Why?

There are several reasons, like modern healthcare, but the biggest is that we have an education system available to everyone.  All children are entitled to a free (taxpayer-paid) education at our public schools.  Unlike it was hundreds of years ago, even the lowest-income families are never forced to pull their children from school so that they can work on the farm or in a mill.

In fact, there are laws preventing you from sending your kids to work.

At what age are kids required to attend school in Maine?

It appears the laws were recently changed.  In 2019, LD 150 and LD 151 were passed, modifying the rules regarding children

According to the Maine.gov website, children must attend school between their 6^th and 17^th birthdays.

What if your child is five years old?  Many of us remember first attending kindergarten when we were five.

The post on the website says, in part:

A 5-year-old who has been enrolled in public school must attend throughout the regular school session unless and until the parent or guardian withdraws the child from school.

Apparently, truancy is still a real thing in Maine.  It is not just something they deal with in old movies.  A child is considered to be truant if they have five consecutive or seven cumulative unexcused school absences.  ‘

Keep in mind that these are state regulations.  Your municipality may have rules that are more strict.

While there is a law that says your children need to get an education, there is no law that says they need to attend public (or private) school.  Parents are allowed to homeschool their children.  Of course, there are rules regarding homeschooling.  Get all the details here.