New Jersey Bill Would Require Teens To Stay In School Until 18

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey teenagers would have to stay in school until they're 18 under a bill going before a state Senate committee.

State law requires those between 6 and 16 to regularly attend school. But several states have sought to raise the age limit in recent years to reduce the drop-out rate.

Mandatory school attendance laws vary from state to state, generally starting at age 5, 6 or 7 and ending between 16 and 18. Some allow students to leave school -- with consent of a parent or principal -- before they reach the state's required age.

New Jersey has one of the highest graduation rates in the country, with about 87 percent of high school students receiving diplomas.

The bill will be heard Monday in the Senate Education Committee.

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