Georgia
Beyond Legal Requirements
Three Georgia school districts recently attempted to obtain more information than is required by state law from home instructing parents. In each case, Home School Legal Defense Association was able to resolve these matters in favor of the home schooling family by corresponding with school officials.
In Forsyth County the superintendent insisted that a family transferring from Dade County complete Forsyth’s declaration of intent form which sought the student’s grade level and the name of the last school attended. State law does not require such information or the use of a particular form.
Cobb County school officials insisted that a home schooling family utilize the school district’s forms for the declaration of intent and attendance records. The district had also developed an “Information Sheet” to be completed by all home schooling parents which asked for personal family information not required by law.
In June, a Griffin-Spalding County School System social worker sent a memorandum asking all parents conducting home study programs to provide both home and work telephone numbers in their declaration of intent. Additionally, the county board of education’s home school policy required that home study programs adopt August 1 through July 31 as their calendar year. HSLDA pointed out to the school social worker that state law does not require the disclosure of telephone numbers and does not prescribe any particular dates for a home study program’s calendar year. Parents may select any 12-month period for their home study program’s school year. — Dewitt T. Black
