0001| AN ACT | 0002| RELATING TO EDUCATION; ELIMINATING THE COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE | 0003| EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL PERSONS. | 0004| | 0005| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0006| Section 1. Section 22-12-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967, Chapter | 0007| 16, Section 170, as amended) is amended to read: | 0008| "22-12-2. COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE--RESPONSIBILITY.-- | 0009| A. Any qualified student and any person who because of his | 0010| age is eligible to become a qualified student as defined by the Public | 0011| School Finance Act until attaining the age of majority shall attend a | 0012| public school, a private school, a home school or a state institution. | 0013| A person shall be excused from this requirement if: | 0014| (1) the person is specifically exempted by law from | 0015| the provisions of this section; | 0016| (2) the person has graduated from a high school; | 0017| (3) the person is at least sixteen years of age and | 0018| has been excused by the local school board or its authorized | 0019| representative upon a finding that the person will be employed in a | 0020| gainful trade or occupation or engaged in an alternative form of | 0021| education sufficient for the person's educational needs and the | 0022| parent, guardian or other person having custody and control consents; | 0023| or | 0024| (4) with consent of the parent, guardian or person | 0025| having custody and control of the person to be excused, the person is | 0001| excused from the provisions of this section by the superintendent of | 0002| schools of the school district in which the person is a resident and | 0003| the person is under eight years of age. | 0004| B. A person subject to the provisions of the Compulsory | 0005| School Attendance Law shall attend school for at least the length of | 0006| time of the school year that is established in the school district in | 0007| which the person is a resident. | 0008| C. Any parent, guardian or person having custody and | 0009| control of a person subject to the provisions of the Compulsory | 0010| School Attendance Law is responsible for the school attendance of | 0011| that person." |