WYOMING
Know the Law and Just Say No!
Wyoming school districts, with increasing frequency, have been mailing home schoolers forms to fill out and return. Two items on the Teton County School District's recent form exceed the district's authority under the Wyoming law.
First, the form contains a question about whether any children in the home school family have special education needs. This question is not authorized by law. Home schoolers are not required to answer such questions, nor are special needs home school students required to participate in the special education program offered at the public school.
Second, the form contains a question regarding how academic progress will be assessed. Again, home schoolers are not required to respond to this kind of question.
Home schools are entitled "home-based educational programs" in Wyoming law. A home-based educational program is defined as "educational instruction provided to a child by the child's parent or legal guardian or by a person designated by the parent or legal guardian." An educational program provided to more than one family unit does not constitute a home-based educational program.
The Wyoming law provides that a home-based educational program furnish a "basic academic educational program." A basic academic educational program provides a sequential, progressive curriculum and fundamental instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, civics, history, literature and science. The program is to provide 175 days of instruction per school year. It is important to keep these legal definitions in mind in examining any policy and/or form submitted to a home schooler by a public school in Wyoming.
In states with good home-schooling laws, such as Wyoming, it is important that the home schoolers be very familiar with the law so that school officials do not, by practice, exceed the law. If home schoolers vigilantly guard their rights and refuse to follow any requirement which exceeds the law, it will stop those who would restrict home schooling from arguing that home schoolers are complying with such requirements. This would be especially important should a battle for a change in the home school law arise before the legislature.
