Across the States
Form demands too much information
As required by state law, a Home School Legal Defense Association member family sent in their Home-Based Private Educational Program Form (PI-1206) by October 15, 2005. However, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction rejected the form, claiming that it did “not meet all of the statutory requirements” because the family did not supply a street address or grade levels. Though the form requested this information, the law does not require parents to provide grade levels, and the street address is given merely as a convenience.*
The family called HSLDA, and Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka sent a letter to the Department of Public Instruction asserting that the form, as sent by the family, complied with statutory requirements.
Since HSLDA has not received a response from the DPI, we assume that the form, as completed by the family, was accepted.
Kiel mandates false deadline
Recently, the Kiel Area School District sent a letter and form to all local homeschoolers. In the letter, the superintendent stated that homeschooling parents would need to submit their “paperwork” to the Department of Public Instruction prior to September 1, 2005. However, in Wisconsin, homeschoolers do not need to submit their form until October 15.
The letter’s stated reason for this early filing was that the “state holds school districts accountable for school attendance and we are required to check the school status of children residing in the district.” However, it is probable that the school district was seeking to use the early filings to obtain funding from the state by including homeschoolers in the count of children in the district. HSLDA became aware of this situation when a member family forwarded a copy of the form to our office.
HSLDA Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka promptly wrote a letter to the school district, demanding that the form be revised so that in future it would not mislead homeschoolers into believing they are required to submit their statements of enrollment by September 1. We are still awaiting the district’s reply.
— by Christopher J. Klicka
* See "A plethora of forms."
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