ABSTRACT
In every state, parents and children are subject to laws requiring young people to attend public school or a state-approved alternative. These laws specify who must attend school, the period of mandatory attendance, and the types and characteristics of schools that may be used to satisfy the requirement of compulsory attendance. In some states, local school administrators are charged with enforcing the compulsory education laws. This responsibility may involve seeking out and initiating legal action against chronically truant children and their parents and evaluating the acceptability under the law of private educational alternatives.
