What You Need to Know About H.B. 46 (Homeschool Freedom Act)

Because of the Homeschool Freedom Act, you will no longer need to file anything with the school district. You no longer need to notify the school district, provide the school district with a letter of intent or a list of your curriculum, etc.

However, there are several important caveats. You may need to provide the school district with information (including even a list of your curriculum or a report card) in the following instances:

• If your child is participating in public school sports;
• If your child is participating in any public school activities or programs; or
• If your child is receiving special education services from the public school.

The reason for these caveats is that Wyoming’s equal access statute, Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 21-4-506(a)(iii), includes this sentence: “As a condition of participation, the student shall be required to comply with all other rules and policies of the district or any school activities association applicable to all students participating in the activity and not related to the assessment of fees or charges.”

Based on this language, we recommend that families who want to participate in public school sports, special education services, or academics comply with a local school district’s request that they provide a list of their curriculum or other information if requested by the school district.

It is also important to note that homeschoolers in Wyoming only have a right to access public school sports. There is no legal right under Wyoming law for homeschool students to receive special education services or other public school services. However, we are aware of some districts that do go over and above the law and provide additional services to homeschool students, even though they are not legally required to do so.

Yes. Families do need to notify the school district in writing (HSLDA recommends that member families use our withdrawal letter here) that you are withdrawing your child from public school and will be homeschooling them. It is not necessary to provide a list of your curriculum, but you do need to provide written notice (Wy. Rev. Stat. § 21-4-102(c)).

It is important to note that this is a one-time notice and only applies if your child is currently enrolled in public school. This notice is not necessary if your child has never been in the public school system, or has been homeschooled previously, and you previously notified the school district that you would be homeschooling.

No. None of these laws have any requirement that homeschoolers have to file information with the school district in order to be eligible.

As a result, you will just need to provide your own documentation that you are homeschooling in compliance with Wyoming law, if Wyoming or your county agency asks for documentation. If you are a member of HSLDA, we are happy to provide our members with written documentation that they are homeschooling in compliance with Wyoming law.

No. Obtaining a driver learning permit does not require that you file information with the school district.

If you are a member of HSLDA, please contact us right away. We and our friends at Homeschool Wyoming are aware of several school districts that have verbally told families that nothing has changed and families still need to annually notify the district that they are homeschooling. This is completely false, and we will vigorously defend our HSLDA member families and homeschool freedom in Wyoming.