RS 17:222 Age of school entrance; proof of age, race, and parentage required; exceptions - Louisiana Statutes

§222.  Age of school entrance; proof of age, race, and parentage required; exceptions

A.  The age at which a child may enter the first grade of any public school at the beginning of the public school session shall be six years on or before September thirtieth of the calendar year in which the school year begins.

B.(1)  All children upon entering a parish or city school system or private school in the state of Louisiana for the first time shall be required to present a copy of their official birth record to the school principal.  A short-form birth certification card shall be acceptable as a copy of an official birth record.  Only records from the local or state registrar of vital statistics will be accepted for children born in Louisiana.  Birth verification forms issued by the local registrar of the parish of birth shall be valid and acceptable for entry into the parish or city schools or private schools.

(2)  Children born in Louisiana will be given a fifteen day grace period to secure a copy of their birth record.  Children born out of this state will be given thirty days grace in which to produce a copy of their birth record.

(3)  In cases where birth certificates and/or birth verification forms cannot be obtained, the school principal may accept whatever positive proof of age, race, and parentage is available.  It shall be left to the discretion of the parish or city superintendent of schools, subject to the authority of the school board, as to whether or not a child shall continue in school upon failure to comply herewith.

C.(1)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections A and B of this Section and except as otherwise provided by Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, each city or parish school board, through the 1995-1996 school year, may adopt, by rule, and enforce ages for entrance into first grade in the schools in its system which vary from the provisions of this Section.  All children admitted into school as a result of a rule adopted pursuant to this Subsection shall be counted in reports submitted for funding under the Minimum Foundation Program and money allocated pursuant to such program shall be based on the report which includes such children.

(2)  Beginning with the 1996-1997 school year and thereafter and except as otherwise provided by Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, each city and parish school board shall comply with the provisions of Subsection A of this Section relative to the age at which a child may enter the first grade of any public school at the beginning of the public school session.

(3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections A and B of this Section, any parish school board in a parish having a population of at least four hundred fifty thousand persons according to the most recent federal decennial census may adopt, by rule, and enforce ages for entrance into first grade in the schools in its system which vary from the provisions of this Section.  All children admitted into school as a result of a rule adopted pursuant to this Subsection shall be counted in reports submitted for funding under the Minimum Foundation Program and money allocated pursuant to such program shall be based on the report which includes such children.

Acts 1964, No. 109, §2; Acts 1984, No. 914, §1; Acts 1993, No. 530, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 118, §2, eff. April 19, 2000.