§18-8-1a Compulsory school attendance; public school entrance requirements; exceptions thereto. - West Virginia Statutes

§18-8-1a. Compulsory school attendance; public school entrance requirements; exceptions thereto.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section one of this article, compulsory school attendance shall begin with the school year in which the sixth birthday is reached prior to September one of such year or upon enrolling in a publicly supported kindergarten program and continue to the sixteenth birthday or for as long as the student shall continue to be enrolled in a school system after the sixteenth birthday: Provided, That a child may be removed from such kindergarten program when the principal, teacher and parent or guardian concur that the best interest of the child would not be served by requiring further attendance: Provided, however, That the principal shall make the final determination with regard to compulsory school attendance in a publicly supported kindergarten program: Provided further, That the compulsory school attendance provision of this article shall be enforced against a person eighteen years of age or older for as long as the person continues to be enrolled in a school system, and shall not be enforced against the parent, guardian, or custodian of such person.

Attendance at a state-approved or Montessori kindergarten, as provided for in section eighteen, article five of this chapter, shall be deemed school attendance for purposes of this section. Prior to entrance into the first grade in accordance with section five, article two of this chapter, each child must have either (1) successfully completed such publicly or privately supported, state-approved kindergarten program or Montessori kindergarten program, or (2) successfully completed an entrance test of basic readiness skills approved by the county in which the school is located: Provided, That such test be administered in lieu of kindergarten attendance only under extraordinary circumstances to be determined by the board. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section and of section five, article two of this chapter and section eighteen, article five of this chapter, a county board may provide for advanced entrance or placement under policies adopted by said board for any child who has demonstrated sufficient mental and physical competency for such entrance or placement. Nothing herein shall prevent a student from another state from enrolling in a public school in West Virginia in such grade as the student was enrolled at the school from which the student transferred.