The High School Diploma
By Wes Beach
When you feel a kid is beyond high school, you can, if you've set up a school, give him a diploma on any basis you choose. When a person who is younger than 18 has a high school diploma, his legal status changes in three ways: he gains freedom from the compulsory education law, he gets out from under the laws that restrict his work hours and require him to get a work permit, and he gains independent access to community colleges. (Eighteen-year-olds gain these advantages simply because of their age.)
Strictly speaking, a person under 16 with a diploma is not exempt from the compulsory education codes. It's likely that this teen can act as if he's exempt, and there will not be a problem. You may comply with the code by choosing to keep the teen with a diploma enrolled until age 16, or you may simply re-enroll him should a problem arise. In either case, he will still have access to community colleges and be free from work restrictions.