Errors Humble Mason County

The Mason County School District Attendance Officer recently sent a letter to all homeschool families demanding information that the district is not entitled to under law. Her letter said:

"The WV State Department of Education requires composite information on the homeschoolers ... in Mason County. Please use the enclosed form and return ... by Friday, June 24, 2005, at the latest."

We advise you to disregard this unauthorized demand.

Her letter implied that all families must use Mason County's notice of intent to homeschool form. In fact, families are permitted to use any form or no form when they provide their annual notice. We advise you to not use the county's form since it asks for information you are not required to provide.

The county's form also contains other errors. It asks families whether they intend to use a standardized test or portfolio review for a year-end assessment. Families are not required to choose their assessment until the end of the year, however. The county's form refers to home school "option b, Exemption B." The legislature repealed this terminology; homeschoolers commonly operate under what is now known as Option C2.

She wrote, "You must submit the plan of instruction to be approved ..." Families are not required to obtain the school system's approval, however.

After explaining the letter's problems to the Attendance Director, she humbly acknowledged the mistakes. She exclaimed, "Wow, I guess I got everything wrong that I could have!" She said that she would send out a correction letter within a few days.