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MISSOURI

County backs down

A Home School Legal Defense Association member family in Bates County received a call from the school district demanding that they come to the local school and sign a form that stated they were homeschooling.^*

The family immediately called HSLDA for advice. Missouri law allows families to notify the school district that they are homeschooling, but this is not required. Most school districts know that they have no authority to demand that families sign any form.

We immediately called the superintendent's office and talked with the school district secretary. We reminded her that families are not required to file anything with the school district. The secretary immediately backed down and acknowledged that the family was free to homeschool and did not need to sign any forms.

Although families are permitted to "register," we recommend against it. Schools sometimes pressure families to "register" so they can get more taxpayer money from the state. But registering provides virtually no benefit to families, and it could be detrimental under some circumstances.

- by Scott A. Woodruff

* See "A plethora of forms."