Growing Interest and Concerns Over Homeschool Regulations

Since the pandemic led to a surge in children being pulled from traditional classrooms, both interest and concern regarding homeschool regulations have increased.

While homeschooling itself isn’t a new concept, its popularity has significantly risen since schools closed their doors five years ago due to COVID-19.

However, this regulatory push has faced opposition from some in the homeschool community who argue that the whole point of homeschooling is to keep government influence away from their children’s education.

“One interesting aspect of homeschooling is that its regulations vary widely from state to state,” a commentator noted. “This makes it tough to grasp the overall educational landscape in the U.S. and what a homeschooling experience looks like for families.”

She also mentioned the challenge of ensuring the safety of homeschooled children through policy measures.

Following the transition to online learning, homeschooling rates soared, with the Census Bureau reporting that 11.1% of households were homeschooling by the fall of 2020.

Though the numbers have fluctuated since then, the John Hopkins Institute’s Homeschool Research Lab revealed that about 90% of states reported a grade increase for the 2023-24 school year.

Concerns over monitoring practices have surfaced in tandem with this registration boom.

For instance, Illinois made attempts to pass regulations requiring homeschool parents to have at least a high school diploma.

Meanwhile, New Jersey is weighing legislation that would mandate homeschool parents to submit a copy of their curriculum to the state.

In Minnesota, there were discussions about prohibiting individuals with criminal histories from homeschooling, although this language was ultimately removed before the final vote.

Proponents of these regulations argue they are necessary to assure that homeschool students meet academic standards and to protect them from potential abuse.

“Once a child is pulled from the education system, there’s essentially no monitoring,” Ulrie stated. “It’s not just about academics; it’s also about safety.”

She clarified that the laws they support aren’t aimed at enforcing rigid schooling timelines, stating, “What these legislative measures do is help ensure children are not left behind.”

However, opinions about regulations often split along party lines, with more stringent measures gaining traction in blue states while red states tend to ease requirements.

Recently, Wyoming enacted a law allowing homeschool families to register just once a year instead of annually, and other states like South Dakota and Arizona have similar single submission laws in place.

In Montana, a previous regulation requiring homeschool families to provide vaccination records was recently repealed.

Deregulation advocates argue that the essence of homeschooling is giving parents the freedom to make educational choices, emphasizing that concerns about abuse in homeschooling don’t surpass those in public schools.

“I’m not convinced that simply labeling homeschooling as a potential risk will lead to better outcomes for children,” some have said. “Many parents pull their kids from public schools for safety reasons.”

Furthermore, some highlight that homeschooling can actually be more supportive than it may seem at first glance.

Many students who are homeschooled participate in cooperative programs, allowing them to socialize with peers and attend classes on certain days, yet they’re still classified as homeschooled under various state laws.

As Michael Hansen from the Brookings Institute pointed out, “Many homeschoolers maintain connections with public schools and other resources, including taking classes and using public libraries.”

The ongoing debate over homeschooling regulations may grow more complex as the school choice movement advocates for educational savings accounts (ESAs), aiming to involve more homeschool families and enhance accessibility.

Borden stated clearly, “We will persist in opposing unnecessary regulations that merely add bureaucratic burdens without genuinely improving education for students.”