Ronda and Robert Kidd have diligently complied with Ohio education law since they began homeschooling their grandson eight years ago. This fall, however, they faced the possibility of being considered out of compliance after officials tried to enforce mandates that were rescinded in 2023.

Thanks to HSLDA’s intervention, the situation was resolved without any legal repercussions.

The Kidds began homeschooling their grandson when he entered kindergarten; he is now in 8th grade. His mother, a single parent, works full-time and also cares for her 3-year-old daughter.

Since taking on the role of home-educators, Ronda and Robert have formed an efficient team. Robert, a former US Marine who retired some years ago, does most of the teaching. Ronda (who is still working) selects the curriculum and handles the paperwork, ensuring the proper forms are submitted to officials well before the annual deadline.

Ronda has always been scrupulous when it comes to submitting the required documentation for homeschooling. Three years ago, she switched from mailing the paperwork due every fall and began hand-delivering it to the local public school superintendent’s office. This allowed her to immediately receive a date-stamped confirmation of receipt.

“You’re out the door in less than five minutes,” Ronda said. “It’s no big deal.”

Unexpected snag

This routine was disrupted in early August when Ronda asked her husband to deliver the annual homeschool notice of intent to the superintendent’s office. When Robert arrived, a secretary asked him to wait while she consulted a supervisor. The supervisor then refused to accept Robert’s notice, mistakenly insisting that the grandfather use the district’s own notice of intent form and provide more information (beyond what is legally required) about their homeschool program.

As a longtime HSLDA member, Ronda knew that officials were going well beyond their legal mandate.

She told her husband, “No, that’s not how this works. We need to call HSLDA.”

Quick intervention

HSLDA Staff Attorney Amy Buchmeyer reviewed the district’s list of requirements. In addition to the use of their own form, officials wanted the grandson’s birth date, a curriculum outline, and a list of materials or textbooks.

Buchmeyer determined that the district’s demands oddly conflated the old and new.

“The district’s notice form was correct, even though parents aren’t obliged to use it specifically,” she noted. “But the other demands were wrong. They referred to provisions that were eliminated by legislative reforms in 2023.”

Our attorney wrote to school officials on behalf of the Kidds, pointing out the errors in the district’s instructions for filing homeschool paperwork. Buchmeyer also reiterated current Ohio law: all parents have to do is submit a notice of intent by August 30. The document must include the parent’s name and address, the student’s name, and an assurance the student will receive an education in the required subjects.

About a week later Buchmeyer received a letter from the school district’s attorney. It confirmed that officials had provided the Kidds an outdated packet and pledged that the superintendent’s office would review its policies to ensure it was following current homeschool law.

Ronda said she was relieved to have the crisis resolved.

“We appreciate everything HSLDA did to help,” she asserted.

Now her family is free to focus on the upcoming school year. With Ronda retiring, she will be taking over more of the teaching. She and Robert are also planning trips to provide hands-on learning for their grandson. Recent excursions included visits to Civil War-related sites including Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Andersonville, Georgia. They hope to travel soon to Cape Canaveral, Florida and the Kennedy Space Center.

Ongoing issue

Buchmeyer said she is gratified to have resolved the situation quickly, though she did note that the dilemma the Kidds faced is by no means unique. Leading up to the 2025–2026 school year, several Ohio homeschool families faced demands that exceeded what the law requires. These families used HSLDA’s membership benefits to assert their legal rights.

One district, for example, cited the wrong deadline for submitting the homeschool notice. Another district told a homeschooling family they needed the grade level and birth dates of the children because officials wanted to enter the information into a database.

These errors seem to occur more frequently, Buchmeyer said, due to confusion over changes to homeschool law or because officials believe they can arbitrarily demand the same information they require from public school students.

“We find that it minimizes issues when families follow attorney-reviewed guidance like what we provide at HSLDA,” she noted. “Our Ohio notice of intent form, for example, follows state law and is professionally formatted to help ensure quick, smooth processing by officials. Designing and posting these forms for our members is just a small part of what we do.”

Cover image: iStock