TO AMEND SECTION 59-65-10 AND SECTION 59-65-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO COMPULSORY EDUCATION FOR SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOLCHILDREN AND THE EXCEPTION TO THE REQUIREMENT, RESPECTIVELY, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS AS AN AUTHORIZER OF SCHOOLS THAT CHILDREN MAY ATTEND WITHIN THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-65-10(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(A) All parents or guardians A parent or guardian shall cause their children or wards require his child to attend regularly a public or private school or kindergarten of this State which has been approved by the State Board of Education or, a member school of the South Carolina Independent Schools' Association, a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools, or some similar organization, or a parochial, denominational, or church-related school, or other programs which have been approved by the State Board of Education from the school year in which the child or ward is five years of age before September first until the child or ward attains his seventeenth birthday or graduates from high school. A parent or guardian whose child or ward is not six years of age on or before the first day of September of a particular school year may elect for their child or ward not to attend kindergarten. For this purpose, the parent or guardian shall sign a written document making the election with the governing body of the school district in which the parent or guardian resides. The form of this written document must be prescribed by regulation of the Department of Education. Upon the written election being executed, that child or ward may not be is not required to attend kindergarten."
SECTION 2. Section 59-65-30(a) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(a) A child who has been graduated from high school or has received the equivalent of a high school education from a school approved by the State Board of Education, or member school of South Carolina Independent Schools' Association, or a private school in existence at the time of the passage of this article, or a member school of the South Carolina Association of Christian Schools;"
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.