May 12, 2004
Harrison County Ends Fishing Expedition
After a Home School Legal Defense Association member family moved to West Virginia and filed their first notice of intent to homeschool, a public school official ordered them to provide information about how they homeschooled in their previous home state.
Unsure how to respond to this unauthorized fishing expedition, the family quickly called HSLDA for help. We promptly advised the county that we were assisting the family.
Jill Schillace, the homeschool coordinator for Harrison County, then sent the family a letter telling them that their "request" to homeschool had been denied. Threatening legal action against the family, Schillace demanded that they either enroll their daughter in public school or provide the requested history of their home education program.
HSLDA immediately faxed a letter to Schillace. We explained that the family had not "requested" to homeschool, since a request is not required in West Virginia. (State law requires a notice of intent, not a request). We also informed Schillace that families are not required to submit records from their previous home state in order to homeschool in West Virginia. Schillace thereafter dropped her unlawful demand and acknowledged that the family had a right to homeschool based on their notice alone.
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