Kentucky's 173 public school districts have approved policies that increase the dropout age to 18 from 16. The state legislature passed a law in 2013 giving school districts the option of raising the dropout age. Once 55 percent of districts did so, it would trigger a four-year deadline for everyone else to raise the age. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear said districts beat that deadline by one year. The law does not apply to private schools.
All but seven public school districts will have the new policy this fall. The rest will begin the policy in the 2017-18 school year.
Beshear credited First Lady Jane Beshear for her work to pass the bill in 2013. The Beshears said they hope the new dropout age will help increase the state's graduation rate.