Giving What the Law Requires

Ohio requires homeschoolers to provide a "brief outline of the curriculum," which is "for informational purposes only." Unfortunately, there is no definition of the word "brief." This has led to a number of clashes between school districts and homeschool families over what exactly is required, especially when families move from one district that accepts a very brief outline to another that demands a full table of contents for every textbook used. The Department of Education recently instructed school officials that they may demand more information than many homeschool families had previously provided.

This new directive is a problem for families that value their privacy. Ohio's privacy law treats homeschool records as "public records," which must be disclosed to third parties upon request. The "brief outline" that must be submitted for "informational purposes only" can wind up in the hands of any person who really wants to get it.