Issue Description
Daytime curfews are ordinances that generally require all school-age children to be inside during school hours. The motive of lawmakers in passing these ordinances is to curb truancy, but the ordinances also have the effect of severally restricting the freedoms of homeschool students. Besides possibly being unconstitutional, there has been very little evidence to show that daytime curfews cut down on truancy. Daytime curfews also result in homeschoolers being frequently harassed, even when they have a note from their parents or are involved in a school activity.

Issue Background
In 1997 HSLDA helped five families file a suit against the City of Monrovia, California, challenging the constitutionality of the city's daytime curfew ordinance. That case was decided in favor of the city, but in recent years we have also written numerous letters to city councils all over the country, explaining the constitutional issues raised by daytime curfews and urging them to vote down any such proposals. Because the problem of truancy is growing, we expect that a rising number of cities will contemplate curfews as a means to reduce truancy.

 Daytime Curfews: Guilty Until Proven Innocent 9/12/2007

Strategy Packet for Defeating Daytime Curfews 3/13/2003