The Georgia Senate is holding hearings this month to consider legislation that would raise the mandatory age that children must stay in school. 

Right now, Georgia is one of only sixteen states in the nation that allows students to drop out of school when they turn age 16.  The legislation being considered would raise the minimum age from 16 to 17.   The move would improve the dropout rate in areas that have statistically and historically had higher percentages of high-school dropouts.

Georgia’s drop-out rate is currently at 13% which compares to 12% nationwide.

The move to raise the mandatory school age to 17 has the endorsement of the Georgia Association of Educators and the Georgia School Boards Association.