HSLDA News	November 21, 2001

Indiana Districts Seek "Contracts" from Home Schoolers

Several Indiana Home School Legal Defense Association member families have forwarded to our office "notice" forms they received from their local school districts. Accompanying letters requested that the families complete and return the forms to the district office.

Using language normally reserved for the sale of real estate, these school districts are attempting to require families to sign a contract before exercising their constitutional right to educate their children at home. The forms ask families to "acknowledge and accept" their responsibility, state that the "notice" is "binding" in "full force and effect" for one year only, and even provide a procedure for "dissolving" the "notice." Because identical language was used in forms from three different school districts, HSLDA believes these forms come from a common source.

However, parents who provide education at home in Indiana are operating private schools pursuant to Indiana Code § 20-8.1-3-17 and State v. Peterman, 70 N.E.2d 550 (1904). They are under no obligation to provide "notice" to the school district of their intent to operate a private school. In addition, their right to home educate is not conditioned upon the signing of any "notice" form supplied by the district.