Truancy laws applied to homeschoolers?

[TestifyToLove]

So, its in our local paper today that 6 unexcused absences and a child now going to be immediately referred to the Courts and parents will face charges.

Our local Superindendent is quoted as saying they are going to have to develop a different system to track attendence for homeschoolers because this law will apply to homeschoolers as well? What the heck?

What exactly is an unexcused absence in a homeschooling environment? They are oxymorons. So, I set our hours, I determine the duration of our school year and I submit attendance records to the state on the first of the month AFTER we held school for the previous month. Exactly how are you going to determine that my children were truant from school???? And, since the state law only requires an X for attendance and submitted after its done, how is any of this enforcable to homeschoolers in the first place?

Dh is actually contacting HSLDA. We might as well USE the membership we pay for and this CLEARLY falls in their territory. But, I'm downright offended that he even mentioned homeschoolers in his tiatribe about truancy laws in the first place. Dude doesn't even know what he's talking about!

I told the kids they are truant if I say they are supposed to be doing school and they don't, so I'm going to start calling the sheriff on them. They thought I was very funny. Guess they got what our wonderful superindendent doesn't get. My one concern is that to enforce attendence, they might try to institute daytime curfew and then I'll have to deal with the fact that we are out an about in the community during school hours anyway.

[mommy2abigail]

:hunh that's nuts!

[KatieMae]

:popcorn I'm very interested in this, please keep us posted esp about what HSLDA says to your hubby.
So, its in our local paper today that 6 unexcused absences and a child now going to be immediately referred to the Courts and parents will face charges.
Okay, I read the article you're talking about. Yes, that's fine for the school to enforce attendance in its students, but to say that homeschoolers & private schoolers will be subject too is completely inappropriate. The STATE says we submit monthly attendance records. His desire to change that is unimportant unless he petitions the DOE itself to change their rules, as that falls under their jurisdiction, not his. And that would be quite a can of worms :yes2

[DoulaClara]

If this law does have a loophole that might make it so that other superintendents and other districts could use it as a way to try to harass home schoolers, I'm glad he spoke up about it AND I'm glad you preemptively brought it to the attention to the HSLDA. I truly hope it's not a sneaky fishing expedition, and rather, a poorly worded law.

[teamommy]

LOL, the vision of threatening to report the kids as truant when they wander off to play instead of doing their work! :giggle

Is this a new superintendent? Maybe he was speaking off the cuff and didn't think about what he was really saying. I know from experience that being interviewed and then seeing what was actually printed, is a frustrating experience. But as someone with a public job, he should also know better. Hopefully it was a misunderstanding. I mean, there is no way they could actually enforce this for younger children. I can see it being a problem for high schoolers who can drive and have a day off. :think

[doubleblessings]

:popcorn I'm very interested in this, please keep us posted esp about what HSLDA says to your hubby.

Ditto

[allisonintx]

I would love to see the funding that a program to track truancy for homeschoolers. I mean, talk about your tax dollars at rest. :rolleyes

[kwisie]

LOL, the vision of threatening to report the kids as truant when they wander off to play instead of doing their work! :giggle



:lol

[Mert]

:popcorn I'm very interested in this, please keep us posted esp about what HSLDA says to your hubby.

Ditto


Me too

[Peaceful Meadows]

:popcorn I'm very interested in this, please keep us posted esp about what HSLDA says to your hubby.

Ditto


Me too


Me, three

[Bonnie]

:hunh

Riiiiight.

My primary concern would also be daytime curfews, which I think are ridiculous. <scowl>

School just got out here, so I've got time, but when we move I'll be making a Student ID card with my contact info on it for Nathan to carry in the unlikely event he's outside playing without me in view. Ugh.

[kiloyd]

sheesh!

[TuneMyHeart]

:hunh :scratch

[OkiMom]

Maybe he is talking about homeschoolers in a non-traditional setting. For example I was suppose to attend "class" for one hour three times a week. So if I missed 6 times without being excused under that law I could be considered truant. He might not mean traditional homeschool where the parent is responsible for the attendance of the child. Just theorizing here.

[TestifyToLove]

Nope, he said they needed to come up with a different method to track attendence for home and private schooled children because the law would apply to them as well.

[Leslie_JJKs_mom]

What did the HSLDA say?

[TestifyToLove]

HSLDA notified DH today that a lawyer reviewed it. IF the superindendent tries to do anything but shoot off his mouth, they will intervene and remind him of what is legally allowable in our state. They didn't quite use those words, but that was the jest of the email. So, if they do anything to try and change our procedures this fall, we'll notify HSLDA for action.

[Vipers_Princess]

HSLDA notified DH today that a lawyer reviewed it. IF the superindendent tries to do anything but shoot off his mouth, they will intervene and remind him of what is legally allowable in our state. They didn't quite use those words, but that was the jest of the email. So, if they do anything to try and change our procedures this fall, we'll notify HSLDA for action.


Yes! That is awesome. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of the HSLDA. I can seriously see the super. here saying something of that sort. He's already steaming that his district is losing so much $$ due to parents becoming irritated with the way they are failing to teach our children and pulling them out to hs.