The loosening of alternative instruction oversight began with committee passage of Senate Bill 177.

 

Senate Education committee members passed SB 177, which makes significant changes to alternative instruction, or homeschool, laws, on a 6-1 vote.

 

An amendment to the bill does require proof of age be provided for any student participating in school athletics and activities and says they are held to the same local training rules, but still has eligibility being declared by the parent or guardian and compels the school district to allow participation without any oversight.

 

ASBSD opposes the bill with Executive Director Wade Pogany reiterating his testimony from the bill’s previous hearing that local control is circumvented as “it mandates eligibility” without the local school board having a say and creates “a double standard” in eligibility between public and alternative instruction students as the public school students have to meet the in-school academic eligibility guidelines.

 

Read the previous post: Bill drastically amending homeschool education laws has first hearing

 

SB 177 also removes most education oversight and regulation of homeschool education as it proposes removal of all testing requirements, birth certificate submission and truancy laws.

 

ASBSD is requesting all school board members to contact their Senators and ask them to vote NO on the bill, which will be debated and voted on the Senate floor on Wednesday or Thursday.

 

Click here to see which members of the Senate represent your school district and their email address and to email your Senator(s), click the link above and then the email address located next to their name.

 

For updates on this bill, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.