Local officials support a plan in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal to lower the compulsory age for school attendance from 8 years to 6 years and raise the minimum age at which students can drop out of high school from 17 to 18.

The Department of Education says research shows that students who start their education at a younger age get better grades and have better social and emotional development than those who start school later.

The compulsory starting age proposal would affect about 3,000 students statewide and the drop out mandate would affect about 2,000 students.

The changes are contained in the Statewide Workforce Education and Accountability Program, which is part of Wolf's 2019-20 budget proposal.

This is an excerpt — pick up Monday's Butler Eagle or subscribe online to find out exactly what local officials had to say about the change.