SB 858 - This act provides metropolitan school districts (the Board of St. Louis Public Schools) the power to raise the compulsory attendance age to seventeen, whereas in all other school districts the compulsory attendance age is sixteen. Such a resolution changing the compulsory attendance age can only take effect after the school year during which the resolution is passed. The act also allows school boards to raise the mandatory age for part-time attendance from fifteen to sixteen.

The act also exempts the parents of home school students above the age of sixteen in the city of St. Louis from the requirements that specify hours of instruction and maintaining certain records (i.e. written record, academic samples, evaluations). Further, the act allows home school educators of students over sixteen in the city of St. Louis to only supply a written statement that the pupil is attending home school as a defense against any prosecution for educational neglect or violation of the compulsory attendance law.
DONALD THALHUBER