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School Demands Additional Info
A member family in the Hudson City School District recently contacted Home School Legal Defense Association when they received a letter from the assistant superintendent stating that they had not submitted “necessary forms” that “are specific to the Hudson City School District.”
Among other things, the forms requested each student’s Social Security number, school history since preschool, and background information on each parent including occupation/employer and the last level of education completed. Knowing this information wasn’t required by law, the parents contacted HSLDA for help.
HSLDA Staff Attorney Thomas Schmidt wrote a response, informing the Hudson City School District that, under New York law, homeschooling parents were not required to provide most of the information requested in the district’s extra forms: neither their child’s Social Security number, nor school history, nor the parents’ educational background.
While one of the forms did have most of what must be included on an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) form, it implied that parents would be required to follow New York state “Standard School Curriculum.”
Schmidt pointed out that these parents had submitted all of the required information under New York law in their IHIP form for their child and requested that the district drop its demands for the additional information. HSLDA does not expect the family to have any further difficulties.
— by Thomas J. Schmidt
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