Latest Updates
Mar. 13 | Amendment introduced
An amendment was proposed, however, it fails to address concerns of both homeschool families and private schools. Will Estrada gives a full report on social media.
Mar. 11 | Bill hearing approaches
HSLDA Senior Counsel Will Estrada alerted members and allies that the scheduled committee hearing might be delayed until March 19.
He shared this video urging homeschool advocates to continue to file witness slips in opposition to the bill.
Mar. 6 | Bill scheduled for hearing; Families rally in support of freedom
H.B. 2827 is scheduled to be heard on March 12 at 8 a.m.
This same day, more than 2,000 parents and students gathered at the Capitol for Cherry Pie Day, the annual homeschool rally organized by Illinois Christian Home Educators. This year their message to legislators was simple: “Please protect homeschool freedom by opposing House Bill 2827.”
Will Estrada was there and provided this report.
Feb. 28 | Remains unscheduled for a hearing
As of Feb. 28, H.B. 2827 still had not been scheduled for a hearing in the House Rules Committee.
Estrada reached out to members and allies again to urge them to attend the March 6 rally at the state Capitol organized by Illinois Christian Home Educators.
Feb. 14 | Assigned to House Rules Committee
Estrada contacted HSLDA members and allies to let them know their calls and emails to Illinois legislators were having an effect. Though assigned to the House Rules Committee, by week’s end H.B. 2827 had not been scheduled for a hearing.
In another aid to advocacy efforts, HSLDA posted a video featuring Estrada’s three-minute summary of why H.B. 2827 poses such a grave threat to homeschool freedom in Illinois.
Feb. 6 | Bill is introduced
Illinois State Rep. Terra Costa Howard introduced House Bill 2827, a 45-page measure that would create new requirements for homeschooling families to report their educational activities to authorities.
Aside from seeking to make parents supply information about their children’s identities and educations—which current state law does not demand—H.B. 2827 represents a troubling trend inspired by critics of homeschooling.
H.B. 2827 reflects concepts from model legislation released in 2024 by the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE). The organization’s “Make Homeschool Safe Act” is based on a worldview that mistrusts parents and asserts that more laws and government oversight are required to keep children safe.
CRHE is in contact with Illinois legislators regarding H.B. 2827 and is promoting the bill to its constituents and the media.
The text of the bill itself alleges that, as currently written, “the laws of this state do not adequately protect homeschooled children.” It adds that the copious regulations it advances “are in the best interests of children to receive a safe and sufficient education.”
Within days of the bill being introduced, HSLDA worked in tandem with Illinois Christian Home Educators (ICHE) to rally members and allies in opposition of the measure.
Summary of H.B. 2827
Some of the changes proposed by H.B. 2827 include:
- Annual notice: The bill would make parents file a homeschool declaration every year with state education authorities. In alignment with the idea that government oversight is necessary to keep children safe and learning, the declaration would call for parents to provide detailed information about their families. This would include, among other things, children’s “names, birth dates, home addresses, grade level,” and “gender identity.”
- Teacher qualifications: Homeschooling parents would be required to hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Student portfolio reviews: The bill would permit local public school officials to demand to review samples of work by homeschooled students at any time and for any reason. This could entail parents and children being called into the school superintendent’s office for in-person interviews. Portfolios would be assessed for evidence that the children’s homeschool program “is at least commensurate with the standards prescribed for public schools.”
- More regulations, more information: H.B. 2827 would empower the state Board of Education to impose more homeschool restrictions and request more data from homeschooling families—all without legislative oversight. For example, state education officials could require homeschooling families to follow public school health and immunization regulations and produce records to prove their compliance.
- Severe penalties: Homeschooling parents who fail to comply with H.B. 2827’s new mandates could face truancy charges, potentially resulting in jail time or having their children forcibly removed from home.