LAS VEGAS (AP) — A dozen states are trying to keep children in school longer, from making kindergarten mandatory to increasing the legal drop-out age. But it's not an easy sell.
Supporters see it as a way to improve achievement and bolster struggling schools. Opponents say parents should have the right to decide when and at what age their children attend school.
A bill in Nevada that would have required children to start school at age 5 was met with such resistance that it was amended to age 6. Current state law sets the age at 7.
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In half the country, children don't have to start school until age 6. The legal dropout age generally is 16.