Last week, Democrats passed the Homeschool Act (House Bill 2827) through the House Education Policy Committee despite the fact that the measure had nearly 50,000 witness slips filed in opposition and thousands rallied at the Capitol in opposition. The bill’s sponsor claims the intention is to protect children from abuse, but there is no evidence of a connection between homeschooling and abuse or neglect.
This bill mandates that non-public elementary and secondary schools register annually with the Illinois State Board of Education, and also requires homeschools to fill out a Homeschool Declaration Form or risk truancy, which could lead to fines and even imprisonment. It further requires administrators to submit personal information about themselves and their students to state and local authorities.
“This legislation infringes on the rights of parents who choose to homeschool their children and opens the door to more intrusive mandates down the road,” said Spain. “Children should be able to learn in the environment that best suits their educational needs. Thank you to all the advocates who came to the Capitol, filed witness slips, and contacted legislators to protect homeschool freedom in Illinois.”
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