Eye On Illinois: Homeschool advocates gearing up to push back on regulation attempt

If the current legislative session hasn’t ginned up enough controversy for your liking, pay attention to House Bill 2827.

The plan, from state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, would create The Homeschool Act. The State Board of Education would create a declaration form any homeschool parent or administrator would submit to the local public school district office. Failure to do so would result in truancy penalties, which at present do not generally apply to kids not enrolled in school.

HB 2827 also stipulates children looking to enroll on a part-time basis, or to take part in any public school activities, would need to provide proof of being current with state health requirements or provide a religious exemption certificate.

Costa Howard’s law background includes extensive juvenile court experience, and she was a key figure in last summer’s collaboration between ProPublica and Capitol News Illinois (tinyurl.com/CNIhomeschool) headlined “How Illinois’ hands-off approach to homeschooling leaves children at risk.”

That investigation, according to the outlets, “revealed little accountability for parents who pull their kids from school and then fail to ensure they receive an education. In the worst cases, the investigation found, parents isolated and mistreated their children.”

CNI did a follow-up piece quoting Michael Mobley, who retired in 2018 after eight years as a downstate truancy officer: “I hope that this renewed attention to this problem brings change. But I can tell you first-hand that any legislative attempt to regulate homeschooling will be met with swift and certain opposition.”

Enter The Caucus Blog, a digital arm of House Republicans, with a post headlined “Democrats take aim at homeschool families.” They labeled HB 2827 a legislative overreach and government expansion that would “impact thousands of Illinois families who have lawfully chosen to homeschool their children” in contravention of the 1950 Illinois Supreme Court opinion People v. Levisen.

A specific concern is the bill’s reference to an “educational portfolio.” The bill doesn’t directly require homeschoolers to keep such a document – basically a record of progress and assessment – but functionally mandates doing so by empowering state and local school officials to request portfolios “as evidence that the homeschool administrator’s homeschool program provides a course of instruction that is sufficient to satisfy the education requirements set forth in Sections 26-1 and 27-1 of the School Code and that is at least commensurate with the standards prescribed for public schools.”

The post’s conclusion echoes Mobley’s prediction: “Opposition to bills of this nature has been fierce in the past and spurred legislation to be withdrawn. That opposition will be needed once again, or Illinois families face more costly and burdensome government intrusion and oversight.”

HB 2827 may not be 2025’s defining political fight, but neither will it pass quietly.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.