Previous Issue Current Issue Next Issue About Search Archives Advertising VOLUME XX, NUMBER 3 - disclaimer - May / June 2004 FEATURES The Best Preventative Medicine What are mandatory reporters? Quick tickets to a social services investigation DEPARTMENTS Freedom watch Same-sex marriage: Not a tangential battle Across the states About campus "Intelligence" takes on new meaning Active cases Members only Wanted: Words from the wise Around the globe Netherlands victory Canadian Supreme Court affirms parental rights Presidents Page Not in vain ET AL. HSLDA social services contact policy/A plethora of forms HSLDA legal inquiries Prayer & Praise On the other hand: a Contrario Sensu  «   LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE UPDATES   »  ACROSS THE STATES CA · DE · FL · ID · IL · IN · IA · KY · LA · MI · MO · NJ · NM · NY · ND · OH · OR · RI · SC · SD · TN · TX · VT · VA · WA · WV · WI · WY MICHIGAN Calhoun's form not required Several Home School Legal Defense Association member families contacted our legal department when they received a letter from the Calhoun Intermediate School District instructing them to complete a Home School Report form. In the letter, the ISD stated that it was "responsible for interpreting and enforcing the compulsory school attendance act"—yet Michigan law does not give school districts any authority to monitor homeschool programs. The letter added that truancy referrals could be filed against families who failed to complete the requested form. The Home School Report form asks for the names, birthdates, and grade levels of the children being homeschooled, and a list of subject areas taught. This form is not required by law. HSLDA wrote to the ISD to explain that families operating under homeschool option (f) are not required to notify the school district of their intent to homeschool, nor are they required to submit information regarding their home education program. Following HSLDA's intervention, the families received no further communication from the ISD regarding this matter. — by Christopher J. Klicka Note: See "A plethora of forms"