June 13, 2003
Minnesota Legislation Restores Homeschool Privacy
After more than a full year of struggle, Minnesota homeschoolers can finally enjoy their privacy again. Senate File 10, the Minnesota data practices bill, was signed by Governor Tim Pawlenty on May 30, 2003. This bill makes it clear that any data collected by a public school on a homeschooling child or parent is "private data" which may not be released without prior written consent by the parents. With a stroke of the pen, the governor gave Minnesota homeschoolers the best privacy protection in the nation.
The new privacy bill does not apply to students who receive "shared time educational services" from a public agency or institution. Students who enroll in public school programs are legally considered public school students. They may be subjected to a large number of requirements that do not apply to independent homeschoolers.
HSLDA applauds the hard work of Minnesota's homeschool leaders, the Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators, who demonstrated once again how effective homeschoolers can be in getting legislation enacted. We encourage all homeschoolers to join and support their local and state homeschool organizations, and to remain actively engaged citizens.
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