Across the States
Family Referred to Truancy Specialist
About a month after pulling their son out of public school to homeschool him, a Home School Legal Defense Association member family in northern Indiana received a letter stating that their child had been absent from school without excuse. The letter, sent by a local child advocacy center, added that a meeting would be necessary to decide if further action would be taken.
The Harts (name changed to protect family’s privacy) were surprised and alarmed by this letter, since they knew that they were in compliance with Indiana homeschool law and had also voluntarily completed the Indiana Department of Education’s online homeschool enrollment form.
When the Harts contacted HSLDA for help, staff attorney Thomas J. Schmidt immediately phoned the truancy prevention specialist who had written the letter. During the conversation it quickly became apparent that the local public school had failed to formally withdraw the child. The school was also counting some school days missed earlier in the year against the family.
Schmidt followed up the conversation with a letter explaining what homeschooling parents are required to do under Indiana law. The Harts provided the advocacy center with some minimal documentation to verify that they were homeschooling their son and they also sent a certified letter insisting that their child be removed from the public school attendance rolls.
The family has had no further problems with the school district.
— by Thomas J. Schmidt
Printer Friendly Version
