13,14, or 15. Source: I was 13 when I started high school in 9th grade. Not all high schools start at 10th grade

It can be age 13 onward, although your point is still quite valid, even at 13.

Indeed. Sure some 8 or 9 year olds can get themselves to and from school even without a school bus, but certainly by the time you hit 11 or 12 it's more likely they transport themselves than be chauffeured around

How do you think this has nothing to do with parents? You do realize that 14-17 is still a minor?

There's a reason that age is called "young adult" . Only helicopter parents can't handle the idea of a 13 year old not being okay on their own for an hour or so after they head out to work. I was riding my bike to school at 9 and I survived, kids haven't changed that much in 15 years. Obviously there are exceptions like for special needs children, but those are pretty rare.

The laws and case law say otherwise.

And are fully capable of walking, riding bikes, or waiting for the bus on their own. The permanent infantilization of America is fucking insane and dangerous.

Parents get forced into it due to the laws and societal expectations (juries/civil cases). Guess who can go to jail if their teenage kid doesn't go to school? Fix that law, and then we can start talking about these.

Yes we should fix those laws. But now most schools let you stay late, no reason they won’t be able to let you come earlier for those who need it.

I wouldn't say "nothing to do with parents." But kids in that age range can do quite a few things on their own. I was in college in a different city at 16.

It's not so much them getting to school on their own, yes they can easily do that. It's making sure they are actually awake. When my kids were teens, if someone was not there to make sure they got up, they would sleep until 10 or 11. Alarms, etc. had basically no effect they could sleep through a tornado.

The later you start school, the less of an issue this will be.

Fair enough. I was driven to high school by my mother. 9am classes in university were tough and they were just a short walk away :-)

I'm not just talking about the getting to school part. I'm also talking about setting the time part via parents at the board meetings.

The idea that just because you’re a minor you can’t take a bus, a bus specifically for children, in fact, is ludicrous. Can’t coddle kids forever. Except for special needs people should be able to do basic things by themselves at age 13, earlier in most cases.

If your 14 year old is not capable of sorting themselves out for a couple of hours you've failed as a parent, and your idea that a 17 year old needs a parent to wipe their bottom is hilarious?!

Do you think something magically happens on their 18th birthday?

Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html