Chicago City Wire

The Illinois House has advanced a bill that could impose new regulations on homeschooling, raising concerns about potential constitutional issues. According to experts at Illinois Policy, the proposed legislation goes beyond merely collecting data on students who do not attend public schools. The bill could effectively create a registry of individuals and their religious affiliations, which is considered problematic.

Mailee Smith, a staff attorney and senior director of labor policy at Illinois Policy, expressed concerns in her written testimony. She stated, “Nothing in HB 2827 is about what’s best for kids or somehow improves education for those students who are struggling. Instead, it’s about tracking and regulating every single family and school that is not a government public school.” Smith also noted the lack of an opt-out provision for parents regarding the tracking of their children and religious affiliations by state and local authorities.

House Bill 2827 would require families to submit an annual "homeschool declaration form" and maintain an "educational portfolio," which could be requested by the state at any time. This portfolio would need to include curricular materials and samples of the child's work. Public schools do not have similar requirements for sharing information with families of enrolled students.

The bill will now proceed to the Illinois House floor for further consideration. So far, over 87,000 witness slips have been filed opposing the bill and its amendment.

Smith's full testimony can be accessed at illin.is/homeschoolhearing.