Top-Tier Navy Recruit Hits Obstacle Because of Diploma

Due to the intricacies of Louisiana law, US Navy recruiters nearly prevented a homeschool graduate from entering the service as a top-tier recruit, even though the graduate scored high marks on an armed forces aptitude test.

HSLDA successfully intervened on behalf of the candidate to correct the mistake, and our explanation of state and federal law should smooth the enlistment process for other qualified homeschool graduates as well.

“Homeschool laws can be difficult to grasp,” said Jim Mason, HSLDA president. “But our attorneys have decades of experience helping key officials understand the various statutes and regulations. This helps us remove obstacles homeschool graduates sometimes face, not because of malice, but from simple misunderstandings.”

“I just received a copy of the letter HSLDA submitted. This is golden!”
—Navy recruiter helping a homeschool graduate qualify for tier-one status

A chance to serve

Alex Lestrade (names changed for privacy) graduated from his parents’ homeschool program in May. He began the process of enrolling in a local community college, but then felt the call to explore more adventurous opportunities in the military.

Alex scored so well on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery that he qualified for any job training open to Navy enlistees. The recruiters he worked with were enthusiastic about Alex’s potential, but as his paperwork wound its way through the chain of command, a superior raised questions about the teen’s diploma.

The objection was caused by confusion regarding the two options for homeschooling legally in Louisiana.

For his 9th and 10th grade years, Alex was taught under the “nonpublic school not seeking state approval” option for homeschooling in Louisiana. In terms of paperwork, this merely requires an annual student attendance report.

For his 11th and 12th grade years, Alex’s parents applied for and received approval from the state board of education to operate a home study program. The procedure to qualify for this homeschooling option is more involved; among other things, parents must submit a birth certificate, follow immunization requirements, and provide evidence their curriculum is of equal quality to that being taught in public schools.

“We generally recommend Louisiana families consider homeschooling under the home study option the last two years of high school,” explained Amy Buchmeyer, HSLDA staff attorney. “It’s a more difficult process, but it does qualify students to apply for a state scholarship program, unlike Louisiana’s other homeschool option. And some employers and colleges feel it adds extra weight to a homeschool graduate’s high school credentials.”

Unexpected obstacles

Supervisors at the Navy recruiting office apparently believed that Alex should be a tier-two recruit because he had not homeschooled under the home study option all four years of high school.

Carrie Lestrade, Alex’s mother, saw the lower-tier status as dismissive of her son’s accomplishments.

“That carries the stigma of being a high school dropout—which he’s not,” she said.

Not being considered a top-tier recruit also came with a material cost.

As Alex noted: “I would not have been eligible for any enlistment bonus.”

In an attempt to correct the mistaken classification, Carrie provided Alex’s recruiters with additional documentation, including articles from HSLDA’s website about how we’ve helped other qualified homeschool graduates enter the military. When these efforts failed, she contacted us.

Providing clarity

Buchmeyer reached out to Alex’s recruiters to explain Louisiana homeschool law. In the letter she submitted, she noted that diplomas earned by high school graduates who were homeschooled under either option are equally valid.

“More to the point,” Buchmeyer added, “according to Louisiana law, Alex’s homeschool diploma affords him the same standing as any other high school graduate in the state.”

She also cited federal law which considers a homeschool student a high school graduate—equivalent to a public school graduate—if he was educated under the homeschool laws of his state. Buchmeyer’s intervention produced highly positive results.

The recruiter responded: “I just received a copy of the letter HSLDA submitted. This is golden! Not only has Alex been upgraded to tier one, I am confident this will change the way homeschool graduates and students are handled during our education verification.”

Alex is now scheduled to report for basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes in January. Meanwhile, he’s working with Navy personnel to boost his physical fitness in order to vie for entry into an elite unit. Thanks to his tier-one status, if he achieves a high enough score doing push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and a timed swim and run, he will qualify for a cash bonus.