Georgia CommonsHB 908: 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
Last action January 12, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House bill would stop public, private, and home school programs from requiring a student who has already met all high school diploma requirements to keep taking or attending additional classes.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the bill and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
Under current Georgia law, children between ages six and 16 must attend a public school, private school, or home school program, though attendance is not required once a child has completed all requirements for a high school diploma. This bill amends that law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1) to add a new protection for students in their final semester of high school. The bill states that no child in their final semester of high school can be required to take or attend classes for any course beyond the minimum coursework needed to earn a diploma. It also reorganizes the existing exemption from mandatory attendance so it clearly applies once a student has finished all diploma requirements. The bill does not set an effective date beyond the standard process, and repeals any conflicting laws.
What the bill does
- Amends Georgia's compulsory attendance law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1) covering children ages six to 16.
- 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 needed for a diploma.
- Restructures the existing exemption from mandatory attendance so it clearly covers children who have completed all diploma requirements.
- Repeals any other Georgia laws that conflict with this new rule.
Who it affects
High school seniors in their final semester who have already met diploma requirements, along with the public schools, private schools, and home school programs that currently may require them to keep attending extra classes.
Why it matters
Seniors who finish their required coursework early would no longer have to sit through additional classes just because the school year isn't over. This could change daily scheduling for graduating seniors and how schools plan coursework for students nearing graduation.
Key provisions
- Section 1 revises subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690.1 to split the mandatory attendance rule into two paragraphs, clarifying when attendance is and is not required.
- Section 1 adds new language stating no child in their final semester of high school must take or attend classes beyond the minimum coursework necessary for a diploma.
- Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws, a standard clause with no substantive effect beyond removing conflicts with this Act.
From the bill
“No child who is in his or her final semester of high school shall be required to take or attend classes for any course or courses beyond the minimum coursework necessary for a high school diploma.”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Michael Smith (D, HD-041)
Topics
- education
- high school graduation
- compulsory attendance
- school policy