Eleven years ago, a glitch in Chicago’s complicated system for placing kindergartners within its array of public school options persuaded Tamara Janusz and her husband to try a much more flexible choice—homeschooling.

Home education proved such a good fit for the family that they’ve pursued it exclusively for their two children. But when their 15-year-old son asked to enroll in public school driver’s education this year, the Janusz family once again found themselves entangled in the city’s bureaucracy.

Despite state law granting homeschooling students the right to access public school driver’s ed, officials at the local public school insisted their administrative calendar prohibited them from accommodating the Janusz’s son.

The family contacted HSLDA for help, and thanks to our attorney’s guidance, they were able to resolve the standoff.

“When it comes to addressing the specific needs of students, public schools are never going to be as nimble as homeschooling parents,” said Jim Mason, HSLDA president. “In this particular case, even though the family had state law on their side, they still ran afoul of the system’s inherent rigidity. But like we’ve done for so many members, HSLDA was able to cut through the red tape.”

How much information?

The problem began very early in the year, when Tamara submitted her son’s application for driver’s ed—months before the April 1 deadline.

“I don’t like to wait until the last minute in case something comes up,” Tamara explained. She used HSLDA’s Illinois driver’s ed verification letter, a resource available to our members.

Officials responded by asking Tamara to provide more information. Following the guidance of Will Estrada, HSLDA senior counsel, Tamara replied that she’d already provided everything the law requires.

School officials quickly changed their stance and said Tamara’s son was good to enroll in driver’s ed this fall.

When Tamara followed up in July, the school reversed itself again and said her son had not been approved. Tamara produced documentation contradicting this claim, which sparked discussions among school staff and ultimately resulted in another troubling objection.

Officials asserted that because the October driver’s ed course started in the middle of their semester, to qualify for it, Tamara’s son would have to register for an additional class to fill in the rest of the term.

“We have no mechanism to excuse half of the semester attendance, and therefore award semester driver’s ed credit, at our school site,” they wrote.

Recurring red tape

This new entanglement reminded Tamara of her first encounter with Chicago public schools a decade ago. When her son was approaching kindergarten age, she began the enrollment process. This included having her son tested for placement in specialty programs including regional gifted centers and classical education.

Her son not only failed to be placed in any of these programs, but officials also said they couldn’t assure him a slot in his neighborhood elementary school.

“He was put on some sort of waiting list,” Tamara recalled.

The Januszes never completed the public school enrollment process, but switched to homeschooling instead.

Problem resolved

To address the latest dilemma in 2025, Tamara again consulted Estrada. He contacted school officials to explain why their requirements—that the student enroll in another class at the beginning of the semester—exceeded what the law demands. Soon after hearing from Estrada, the school relented.

Tamara said her son is excited at the prospect of earning his license, as it will help him pursue his goals of getting a job and taking flying lessons at a nearby airport.

“We’re grateful to the Janusz family for letting us know about their situation and asking us to intervene,” Estrada said. “When we’re able to cut through the confusion and ensure that officials are following the law, it benefits the entire homeschool community.”