Georgia
Jackson County Using Unauthorized Form
Two Home School Legal Defense Association member families residing in Jackson County have been contacted by the board of education’s Stay-In-School Coordinator/Social Worker, with the demand that they complete a Student Information Sheet. This form seeks personal information beyond what is required by the state home school law, such as the student’s social security number, sex, race, date of birth, telephone number, and whether the student has ever been enrolled in public school. The form also seeks information about each parent’s occupation, name of employer, work telephone, and date of high school graduation or GED.
Home education in Georgia is governed exclusively by the provisions of Section 20-2-690 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Paragraph (c) of Section 20-2-690 sets forth the information which parents must submit to the local superintendent in their declaration of intent to utilize a home study program. This information is as follows: “a list of the names and ages of the students who are enrolled in the home study program, the address where the home study program is located, and a statement of the 12-month period that is to be considered the school year for that home study program.” No other information need be provided in the declaration of intent.
Paragraph (e) of Section 20-2-690 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated requires the state board of education to devise, adopt, and “make available” to local school superintendents, such printed forms as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the reporting provisions of the home school law. The local superintendents shall in turn “make [the forms] available” to parents or guardians of children in home study programs. However, there is no requirement that those forms be used by parents or guardians in submitting the declaration of intent or fulfilling any other reporting requirements. Additionally, any forms developed by the state board should not seek information beyond what is required for a declaration of intent. Local school districts are without any authority to devise their own forms or to require the type of information sought by the Jackson County School System.
HSLDA member families who receive forms or other requests seeking information beyond what is authorized by state law should contact our office for assistance. The type of information being sought in Jackson County is an unwarranted invasion into the privacy of families.
|
|
Georgia
Admitted to statehood:
January 2, 1788
Origin of name:
For King George II of England by James Oglethorpe, colonial administrator, 1732.
Motto:
Wisdom, justice and moderation.
|
|
