Legal / Legislative Updates

ILLINOIS

School District Demands Testing of Homeschooler

After a member family in the Wheaton area received a disturbing letter from the assistant regional superintendent of their school district, they immediately contacted Home School Legal Defense Association for assistance.

According to the letter, the school was concerned about the education of the family’s children. To ensure that the students were receiving an education, the school was requiring documentation of the family’s curriculum, a portfolio documenting the subjects taught and the time frame in which they were taught, and a written exam showing that the children’s level of achievement was comparable to that of their peers!

Due to the extent of these requests, HSLDA Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka responded to the superintendent on behalf of the family. In his letter, Klicka explained that the superintendent did not have legal jurisdiction to make these requests. Klicka also explained Illinois homeschool law and assured the superintendent that the family was fulfilling the requirements of operating a legal homeschool program. He also made it clear that the family was declining to fulfill the superintendent’s requests.

Since receiving Klicka’s letter, the school district has not made further contact with our member family. If you live in the Wheaton area and receive a letter such as the one received by this family, please contact HSLDA immediately.

— by Christopher J. Klicka

Schools Badger Family With Phone Calls

When an Illinois Home School Legal Defense Association member family withdrew their two children from their respective public schools to begin homeschooling, the family started receiving phone calls from the schools—sometimes even several calls a day.* The schools threatened to turn in the children for truancy if the parents did not sign and submit the school-designed homeschool registration form.

The family contacted HSLDA, explaining that they had already sent notice to the public schools that their children would be withdrawn in order to be homeschooled, and that there should be no reason for the public schools to keep contacting them.

HSLDA Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka wrote a letter to each school, stating that if the phone calls did not stop, the school could be held liable for harassment. Klicka also indicated in the letter that the family was following the homeschool law for the state and had no legal obligation to sign the paperwork requested. Finally, Klicka informed the schools that all further responses should be directed to him as he would be representing the family. This correspondence settled the matter and the family is now homeschooling without interruption.

— by Christopher J. Klicka