0001|                               AN ACT
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0002| RELATING TO EDUCATION; ELIMINATING THE COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
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0003| EXEMPTION FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL PERSONS.
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0004| 
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0005| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0006|      Section 1.  Section 22-12-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1967, Chapter
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0007| 16, Section 170, as amended) is amended to read:
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0008|      "22-12-2.  COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE--RESPONSIBILITY.--
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0009|           A.  Any qualified student and any person who because of his
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0010| age is eligible to become a qualified student as defined by the Public
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0011| School Finance Act until attaining the age of majority shall attend a
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0012| public school, a private school, a home school or a state institution. 
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0013| A person shall be excused from this requirement if:
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0014|                (1)  the person is specifically exempted by law from
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0015| the provisions of this section;
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0016|                (2)  the person has graduated from a high school;
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0017|                (3)  the person is at least sixteen years of age and
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0018| has been excused by the local school board or its authorized
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0019| representative upon a finding that the person will be employed in a
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0020| gainful trade or occupation or engaged in an alternative form of
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0021| education sufficient for the person's educational needs and the
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0022| parent, guardian or other person having custody and control consents;
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0023| or
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0024|                (4)  with consent of the parent, guardian or person
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0025| having custody and control of the person to be excused, the person is
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0001| excused from the provisions of this section by the superintendent of
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0002| schools of the school district in which the person is a resident and
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0003| the person is under eight years of age.
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0004|           B.  A person subject to the provisions of the Compulsory
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0005| School Attendance Law shall attend school for at least the length of
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0006| time of the school year that is established in the school district in
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0007| which the person is a resident.
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0008|           C.  Any parent, guardian or person having custody and
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0009| control of a person subject to the provisions of the Compulsory
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0010| School Attendance Law is responsible for the school attendance of
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0011| that person."                                     
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