October 9, 2009
Dept. of Education “Subsequent Year Letter” Blooper
After the first year of homeschooling a child in Maine, families are required to file only a very simple letter annually confirming that they are going to continue homeschooling the child (along with a year-end assessment).
But Kathy Green of Homeschoolers of Maine, and subsequently another HSLDA member, gave us the heads-up that the Department of Education had posted a blooper. On their website, they published what they called a “Subsequent Year Letter” form, but it was actually a first-time notice of intent to homeschool form, which requires significantly more information.
At least one school system, MSAD 40, sent the erroneous form to families and asked them to fill it out.
HSLDA Senior Counsel Scott Woodruff contacted the Maine Department of Education. The official involved quickly recognized the blooper and corrected it.
While it’s important that the state publish only forms that line up with state law, families are not required to use a state form at all. They can submit the required information in another manner. On the other hand, the forms available on the website as of this writing line up with state law so well that there is little or no harm in using them.
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