HB908: HB908 Education; prohibit a public school, private school, or home school program from requiring a child who has completed all requirements for a high school diploma to take or attend classes for any additional course

Georgia law currently requires children between their sixth and sixteenth birthdays to attend a public school, private school, or home school program. House Bill 908 amends that compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1) to add an exception for students who have already completed everything needed for a high school diploma, even if they are still within the mandatory attendance age range. The bill also states that a student in his or her final semester of high school cannot be required to take or attend classes beyond the minimum coursework necessary to earn a diploma. In effect, once a student has finished diploma requirements, or is finishing them in their last semester, the school cannot force continued attendance in additional courses. The bill repeals any conflicting laws but does not list a special effective date beyond standard enactment.

• Exempts children who have completed all requirements for a high school diploma from Georgia's mandatory school attendance law, even if they are still between ages six and sixteen.
• Bars public schools, private schools, and home school programs from requiring a student in their final semester of high school to take classes beyond the minimum coursework needed for a diploma.
• Rewrites subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1, the state's compulsory attendance statute for children ages six to sixteen.
• Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes.

Public school, private school, and home school students who finish their diploma requirements early or during their final semester, along with the school districts, private schools, and home school programs that currently set attendance and coursework expectations for those students.

Students who finish their required coursework before graduation would no longer be compelled to sit through additional classes, potentially freeing up their final semester or year for work, internships, or other pursuits instead of mandatory attendance.

• Section 1 amends O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1(a) by revising the compulsory attendance rule for children ages six through sixteen.
• The revised law keeps the general rule that children between six and sixteen must attend a public school, private school, or home school program.
• It adds an exception removing the attendance requirement for children who have successfully completed all requirements for a high school diploma.
• It states that no child in his or her final semester of high school can be required to take or attend classes beyond the minimum coursework necessary for a diploma.
• Section 2 repeals any laws or parts of laws that conflict with the bill.

1. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-04-02House Hopper (House)

• Michael Smith (D, HD-041)Primary sponsor

• compulsory school attendance
• high school graduation requirements
• K-12 education policy
• home schooling