June 9, 2005
Prosecuted for the Wrong Address
Ohio law requires homeschoolers to notify the superintendent of schools at the school district in which the child resides of their intention to homeschool. If a family moves during the school year, they can ask their previous school district to forward a copy of this notice to their new district of residence. What happens if a family fails to do this?
One family found out when they moved just outside the city limits of Toledo. Catherine Warren [not her real name] filed all the paperwork required by Ohio law with her superintendent in Toledo. Due to family difficulties, she had to move out of her apartment during the course of the school year. She moved to a home that she thought was in the Toledo public school district. It turned out that she was wrong. She was really a few blocks into a neighboring district.
Catherine was reported for truancy to the superintendent of the new district without her knowledge. School officials searched in vain for any evidence that she was homeschooling. A truant officer came to Catherine's new apartment building and searched the mailboxes to try to discover where Catherine lived. The officer picked an apartment number and left notes there, followed by certified letters, but Catherine never responded since she did not receive any mail from the school district. The first time Catherine became aware of the problem was when a Deputy Sheriff arrived with a summons to appear in court.
Fortunately, HSLDA was able to intervene just hours before the hearing. School officials in Toledo were happy to provide proof that Catherine had been legally homeschooling in that district. A flurry of phone calls to court officials and the prosecutor's office resulted in an agreement to delay prosecution until the new school district could receive the proper paperwork. Catherine waited through an agonizing afternoon, but finally received word: all charges against her were dismissed.
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