Across the States
New Homeschoolers Harassed by
Superintendent
Despite Home School Legal Defense Association’s countless interactions with Bureau/Henry/Stark County Superintendent Bruce Dennison over the past 10 years, his district continues to threaten homeschoolers if they refuse to comply with nonexistent filing requirements.
When an HSLDA member family received a letter from Superintendent Dennison last September, they contacted us for help. The letter was an intimidating demand that the family meet with the Stark County State’s Attorney the following Monday to discuss their daughter’s absence from public school—or face truancy charges.
The family had recently legally withdrawn their daughter from public school in order to homeschool her and had even sent a courtesy withdrawal letter to the district. Instead of accepting the fact she was being homeschooled, however, school officials contacted the truant officer.
HSLDA Senior Counsel Christopher Klicka sent the superintendent a letter explaining that these parents were within their right to homeschool even without notifying the school district. Klicka provided assurances that the family was in complete accordance with Illinois homeschool law and cancelled the meeting with the state’s attorney.
The family has not heard from the school or the state’s attorney since. This regional school district has used similar tactics against homeschoolers on and off over the last 10 years, but HSLDA has been able to resolve each contact.
— by Christopher J. Klicka
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