Red Shirting / Holding Back - does the state have an obligation to pay for grade 12?

[Anonymous]

A question here. I was reading the a section of the DC schools website around enrollment requirements. It said:
"...From age 5 (provided they are 5 before September 30th) until the age of 18 years, children in the District of Columbia are required to be in an educational program recognized by the District. This can be a regular public school, a chartered public school, a private school or an approved home-school program. "

With parents making decisions to hold back /red shirt children who they think are not ready, is DC (or some other public schools system) obliged to pay for grade 12 since the child will turn 18 before 12th grade starts?

[Anonymous]

I really hope the answer is NO! and this would put an end to holding kids back to gain a false advantage by parents who either fool themselves that there are no negative consequences for other kids or in many cases don't give a ****

[Anonymous]

LOL. The redshirt whinging happens only on these boards. Out in Real DC, the true problem is helping the boatloads of dropouts become contributing members of society -- heck yeah, taxpayer dollars fund the public education of 19-year-old seniors (and sophomores). And they should. Grow up, people. (And how many redshirted kids do you think attend public HS in DC, anyway?)

[Anonymous]

Redshirting is more of the norm in private schools...but certainly it exists in the publics, too, esp. in the more affluent areas, where parents can afford to make other plans prior to kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. The redshirt whinging happens only on these boards. Out in Real DC, the true problem is helping the boatloads of dropouts become contributing members of society -- heck yeah, taxpayer dollars fund the public education of 19-year-old seniors (and sophomores). And they should. Grow up, people. (And how many redshirted kids do you think attend public HS in DC, anyway?)

Right, I'm not sure that the increasing number of kids who would drop out during their senior year b/c their public education would no longer be funded is the answer for society.

[Anonymous]

Yes. The age at which DC is no longer obligated (unless it is behavioral) is higher.

I can't remember where I read this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Redshirting is more of the norm in private schools...but certainly it exists in the publics, too, esp. in the more affluent areas, where parents can afford to make other plans prior to kindergarten.

In Virginia Gov Kaine wanted to make universal preschool available via public funds. The reality is much of full day kindergarten is not academic and could be handled via child care models for half day complete with contributions from families. That was the old SACC model in Fairfax. IMHO no child should turn 18 before July for senior year.

FYI-- many disabled students with IEP's who get public preschool are forced by the school districts to NOT take another preschool year. So if a child is truly disabled they are in the system on schedule. That is so they DO NOT get any extra year.

[Anonymous]

Of course.
High school students who drop out and want to continue their education are entitled to do so.
I know one family whose child was older than her peers because she had childhood leukemia and missed out so much that in the end it was better to be one grade below.

People also move and come from different areas. In Europe the cut of date is Jan 1.
So there are students started school there, who have immigrated and gotten their citizenship, and kids of Amrerican abroad who started their education there and came back.

School is for everybody.