MICHIGAN
Department of Education Improves Report Form
The most recent version of the Form SM-4325, also known as the Nonpublic School Membership Report, was revised by the Michigan Department of Education this past August to eliminate teacher qualifications information when the parent is claiming a religious exemption to the teacher certification requirement. This favorable change is based upon the ruling by the Supreme Court of Michigan in People v. DeJonge on May 25, 1993. The DeJonge decision exempted home schooling parents from the teacher certification requirement if their "religious convictions prohibit the use of certified instructors." Despite the 1993 ruling, until the current school year, the Department of Education has continued to insist that home schooling parents provide teacher qualifications even though the religious exemption was being claimed.
Although the Form SM-4325 is now more favorable to home educators, it continues to seek information which is not required by state law. For example, parents are expected to disclose whether their children are certified as special education students, how many students in the home school are part-time students, and how many students are in each grade level. Because of this, HSLDA continues to advise its member families that completion of the Form SM-4325 is not required by state law.
