Legal / Legislative Updates

NEW YORK

Excessive demands on homeschoolers)

Home School Legal Defense Association members in the Keshequa Central School District recently received a form letter demanding that they provide a list of specific topics to be studied or a plan of instruction, along with a list of the textbooks or curriculum materials to be used in each subject.

With this letter each family received an “application” to teach their children at home and a Home Instruction Worksheet.^*

HSLDA Staff Attorney Thomas Schmidt contacted the Keshequa CSD on behalf of all of our member families residing in the district and informed the public school officials of New York law. Section 100.10 actually requires parents to submit one of the following on their Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) form: a list of the syllabi, a list of curriculum materials, or a plan of instruction.

Additionally, Schmidt pointed out that parents are not required to submit an “application” or get Keshequa’s approval before teaching their children at home. Instead, parents must notify the district of their intent to homeschool by July 1 or within 14 days of beginning their homeschool program.

Although most of the information requested on the Home Instruction Worksheet will be provided over the course of the school year, this form was developed by the New York State Education Department for internal public school use. While it is not uncommon for school officials to request that homeschooling parents fill out this form, parents are not required to do so.

Whenever there is a doubt about the documentation you are required to submit to the school district, please contact HSLDA for assistance.