Most homeschool parents think truancy laws have nothing to do with them anymore — a threat most people stopped worrying about once they removed their kids from their local school.
But lawmakers in several states are working to change that.
Truancy laws were originally written to deal with kids enrolled in public school who weren’t showing up. They were attendance rules for the government school system.
Now we’re seeing bills pop up all over the country that stretch those laws into something else entirely!
In West Virginia, lawmakers filed a bill that would block parents from withdrawing their child to homeschool for 90 days if the child is already in a truancy process.
That means if a child is labeled “chronically absent” — even because of bullying, illness, or school issues — the state could FORCE that family to keep the child in the system they’re trying to leave!
>>🗳️ Sign Your Petition Here! Oppose New ‘Truancy’ Regulations!<<
Imagine that! Your child is being bullied or has been assaulted by another student or staff member so you keep them home from school for a few days to consider your options. Your family ultimately decides that the situation at school isn’t getting better, and after those few days to think about it, you’ve make the choice to pull your child out of school and homeschool them — but the Government overrides you!
Other states are pushing policies that could label homeschoolers truant over paperwork if the government decides the forms weren’t filed correctly.
And Tennessee families are facing a similar threat right now over expanded truancy enforcement bills with SB 1968. This nasty bill — filed by Republican Senator Adam Lowe — stipulates that if you try to withdraw to homeschool when the school has labeled you truant, the decision on whether or not you get to homeschool would have to be decided by a judge!
This is a nightmare situation for families trying to leave the government school system!
Here’s what’s actually driving all of this.
Public school enrollment is declining in many, many states. When enrollment drops, funding drops. When funding drops, power drops. Powerful Government systems like this don’t surrender power without a fight.
So instead of saying, “You may not homeschool,” lawmakers try to reframe it:
“We’re just enforcing attendance.”
“We’re just ensuring accountability.”
“We’re just preventing neglect.”
But the effect is the same. They’re intentionally making it harder for families to escape their government schools.
And once homeschooling is tethered to truancy compliance — once your right to educate your child at home depends on whether a public official believes you exited “correctly” — the state is in control of your child.
This is how the transfer of power happens.
Truancy stops being about public school attendance and starts being used to aggressively police homeschooling and block families from leaving government schools.
Once these policies pass in one state, especially a ‘red’ state, other’s copy them.
That’s why we need homeschool families speaking up now.
>>Oppose All New Regulations on Homeschooling!<<
And if you can help us track these bills and fight them across the country, please consider chipping in to support the work of the Homeschool Freedom Coalition.
We exist to protect and defend homeschooling and we can only do that because of the support of our members. So whether you can give $5, $25 or even $500, please know that we will do everything in our power to advance homeschooling freedom!
👉 Support the fight: Donate Here!
For freedom,
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