Governor's Commission Proposals Affect Home Schoolers

By The Leader-Springfield Bureau (springfield@illinoisleader.com)

The Governor's Commission proposals will require private/home schoolers to submit their medical records to public school officials.

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George Ryan announced last Friday the Governor's Commission on Revising the Illinois School Code has made its recommendations for changes. The commission will be hosting six different hearings throughout the state, beginning August 15 in Godfrey.

Education activists are scouring the 1283 pages of proposed recommendations and making plans to participate in the public hearings.

One group that has been anticipating the proposed changes is the home schooling families of Illinois. Earlier this year, state home schooling groups were notified that participants in the commission were asking for input from home schooling families as to "how the Illinois State Board of Education could help them" educate their children.

The proposals coming from the Governor's Commission includes three distinct changes to the compulsory attendance law (105 ILCS 5/26-1):

It will lower the compusory school attendance age from age 7 to 6.

It will no longer require that students be taught in the English language.

It will require that parents of all compulsory school-age students (including this enrolled in private/home schools) submit proof of immunization and physical examination with their local public school district or Regional Office of Education. A footnote notes that the commission is concerned about the "safety of all children."

"We will be notifying our members in Illinois about these proposals, and encouraging them to participate in the public hearings," said Christopher Klicka, attorney for Home School Legal Defense Association, based in Paeonian Springs, Virginia. "This is the time to publicly express opinion on these issues."

Klicka continued, "We would encourage home schoolers to recommend that private school families submit their immunization records and physical examination records with the local private school in which they are currently enrolled, rather than send private school students' records to public school authorities."

In Illinois, home schools are considered private schools. Private schools are not currently accountable to local government school systems, and do not exchange private academic or medical information about their students with the public school authorities. Klicka's recommendation would allow home school parents to keep their students' information private, something which home schoolers have fought to preserve in past years.

In 1999, State Representative Ricca Slone (D-East Peoria) proposed legislation that would require home schooling families to submit their children's immunization records with the local county health department. After pressure from home schooling parents who contacted their state lawmakers, Slone chose to table her legislation.

The year before, Slone had proposed that home schooling families be required to test their children with standardized tests, submit their curriculum to the local regional superintendent for approval, and also file medical records with the local school authorities. The legislation did not move out of the Illinois House.

The ISBE's posted online version of the proposals (in School Code Composite 21-28, listed under 26-1) originally contained a phrase in the compulsory attendance law which, it appeared as posted, was being recommended to be stricken from the current compuslory education law. The phrase, "children being home schooled shall register their children" was included in the commission's original proposal, but was stricken through, giving the mistaken impression that it is current law for home schooled children to be registered. Home schooled students are not currently required to register their children with the ISBE.

When this discrepency between Illinois statutes and the commission proposal was pointed out to the Governor's representative by the Illinois Leader, the representative agreed that the inclusion of the language was an error, and would be removed immediately.

The first public hearing on the proposals will be held on August 15, 2002 at the Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey. Five others will follow. (Details available on Illinois Leader's Calendar of Events.)

After the hearings, the commission will complete their recommendations, and offer the proposals to the Illinois General Assembly. With Governor George Ryan not running for re-election, there is speculation that legislation implementing the proposed changes wlll not move until the next General Assembly convenes in January.

Progress of the commission's proposals becoming law is likely to depend upon the priorities of the next governor and General Assembly.

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.