Our victory over Eastern Lancaster County School District (ELANCO) last year advanced homeschool freedom in Pennsylvania. This legal battle affirmed that homeschool parents in Pennsylvania are not required to surrender a copy of their high school diploma or GED to public school officials as a matter of course.
In the weeks since, it has become clear that though ELANCO’s conduct was certainly egregious, it was not the only district to get the law wrong. Other school districts across Pennsylvania have also routinely tried to compel homeschool families to surrender copies of their high school diplomas (or equivalent credentials) or send in other paperwork not required by law.
In just the past few weeks, HSLDA has reached out to numerous districts on behalf of HSLDA members. These families were told they couldn’t withdraw their children from public school, or begin homeschooling, until they provided a copy of their high school diploma or GED to district officials. These jurisdictions included Southern Lehigh School District, Southern Tioga School District, and Hatboro-Horsham School District.
Both Southern Lehigh and Southern Tioga quickly reversed course once we contacted the districts and shared a copy of the winning complaint we filed in court against ELANCO school district. We’re grateful for their acknowledgement of the clear law.
Hatboro-Horsham School District required a bit more attention. Despite an HSLDA member providing her affidavit, objectives, and withdrawal letter to the district, officials told her that they would not recognize the withdrawal until they had a copy of her high school diploma. The school began to wrongfully mark our HSLDA member’s child absent, which could have resulted in serious legal consequences.
We quickly stepped in and sent a legal letter to the district. Within hours of receiving our letter, the district acknowledged that our HSLDA member’s child was properly withdrawn and there was no requirement that the family submit a high school diploma or equivalent.
Growing Precedent
We have also used our victory in ELANCO school district more broadly to remind districts that they must follow the law in other areas, not just when it comes to a parent’s high school diploma.
When Shippensburg Area School District told several families in early December that they needed to send in two additional documents to prove residency, we pointed to our ELANCO victory to remind them that the same principles apply: a family’s notarized affidavit or unsworn declaration is sufficient. And we are grateful to the district for quickly changing their policies to come into compliance with Pennsylvania law.
HSLDA stands ready to defend our HSLDA members and to protect the rule of law. Local school districts do not have the authority to impose their own requirements over and above what the legislature has established. As we have shown ELANCO school district, and now four other districts in Pennsylvania, we are prepared to go to court if necessary to preserve and defend homeschool freedom.