Dropping Out of High School in NYC

[shim123]

I am currently enrolled in a New York State High School. Last year the school had a limit of "missed" days alowed or "sick days" that you could miss before you would lose credit in your classes. This year the School District set no limit or otherwords "unlimited"? Well this year I hit a bump in the road and have had very poor attendance. I have missed more that 70% of the school days this year (to current Date).

The principal had threatened to call a Social Services Hotline for Educational Neglect against my parents. BTW I am currently 16 years of age. I have heard Rumors that the drop out age in NY State has changed from 16 to 17? Is this true?

So now to my questions.
1. If the legal dropout age of NYState is still 16, then why would they be able to call this Hotline on me.
2. Even if they changed drop out age to 17, but have no limit on sick days, what are they're grounds for calling?

I dont really know much on the legal facts for this so I am unsure of what to do. Does anyone know anything about this that is helpfull

Thanks a ton.

P.S. I talked to a friend thats been through sort of the same thing when he was younger. He said that Social Services cant really do anything without a Judges Signature. I am not sure if this is true or not but in order to get a Judges sig. wouldn't I have to at least go to court? My parents are just worried that all this bad stuff is going to happen and they have been worried to hell the last couple days. They think Social Services is going to take me to a foster home, fine them, all this legal stuff....

Thanks for your time :-)

[aaron]

The relevant statute, as presently represented on the New York Legislature's website, appears to be:

1.

• a. In each school district of the state, each minor from six to sixteen years of age shall attend upon full time instruction.
  
  b. Each minor from six to sixteen years of age on an Indian reservation shall attend upon full time day instruction.
  
  c. For purposes of this article, a minor who becomes six years of age on or before the first of December in any school year shall be required to attend upon full time instruction from the first day that the appropriate public schools are in session in September of such school year, and a minor who becomes six years of age after the first of December in any school year shall be required to attend upon full time instruction from the first day of session in the following September; and, except as otherwise provided in subdivision three of this section, shall be required to remain in attendance until the last day of session in the school year in which the minor becomes sixteen years of age.

2. Exceptions.

• a. A minor who has completed a four-year high school course of study shall not be subject to the provisions of part one of this article in respect to required attendance upon instruction.
  
  b. A minor for whom application for a full-time employment ertificate
  has been made and who is eligible therefor may, though nemployed, be permitted to attend part time school not less than twenty hours per week instead of full time school.
  
  c. The board of education of the Syracuse city school district is hereby authorized to require minors who are five years of age on or before December first to attend kindergarten instruction. However, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to:
  
  [list:26866c225b](i) Minors whose parents elect not to enroll their children in school until the following September.
  
  (ii) Students enrolled in non-public schools or in home instruction.

[/list:u:26866c225b] 3. In each school district, the board of education shall have power to require minors from sixteen to seventeen years of age who are not employed to attend upon full time day instruction until the last day of session in the school year in which the student becomes seventeen years of age.

So if you're sixteen and in a community which requires continued school attendance, get a job or risk being punished for truancy.

[shim123]

I am currently 16 with a birthday on September 18 so i turned 16 2 weeks into school. I allready have a job I get about 20 hours a week inthe winter 40+ hours in the summer. Would this change anything?