HSLDA | Illinois Legislation 2005�Senate Bill 409: Expansion of Mandatory School Age

June 15, 2005

Senate Bill 409: Expansion of Mandatory School Age

Author:
Senator Kwame Raoul (D-District 13)

Summary:
This bill will lower the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 5. It poses a threat to homeschoolers because it expands the state's jurisdiction over all children by subjecting 5 year-olds to the compulsory attendance law.

Home School Legal Defense Association and Illinois Christian Home Education Coalition (ILCHEC) urge you to take a moment and call your state senator to stop this encroachment on your freedom.

If we act now, we have a good opportunity to defeat this bill in the Senate Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

Status:

02/16/2005		Introduced
02/17/2005		Assigned to Senate Education Committee
04/20/2005		Assigned to Elementary and Secondary Education
5/20/2005		Bill died

HSLDA's Position:
HSLDA is opposed to this bill.

Action Requested:

Background:
The reasons we oppose these types of bills include:

1. Changing the compulsory attendance age would subject Illinois home educators to the requirements of the compulsory attendance law two years earlier. (You do not need to share this reason with your legislators.)

2. Many education experts have concluded that beginning a child's formal education too early may actually result in burnout and poor scholastic performance later.

3. In addition, lowering the compulsory attendance age erodes the authority of parents---who are in the best position to determine when their child's formal education should begin.

4. Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and more teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools under these proposed laws.

For more information on this type of bill and others, visit our website at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=29.

For a more detailed analysis of the issues involved in lowering the compulsory attendance law, read our memo at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=28.