Williamson County
Schools wants to make
sure parents of
homeschooled students
are aware of an
important State law that
could affect them.
According to Tennessee
Law, homeschooled
students who are not
affiliated with a
homeschool agency such
as a Category IV
church-related school
must register their
child with the school
district.
For
instance, a mom or dad
who teaches their child
at home is required to
register with Williamson
County Schools; whereas
a parent who registers
their child with a
state-approved umbrella
organization or a
church-related program
is not.
WCS
believes many parents
are unaware of this law,
which is why
Superintendent Dr. Mike
Looney wrote the
following letter:
Dear Parents of
Homeschooled Children,
In
recent weeks, the
Williamson County Board
of Education has been
debating the feasibility
of implementing a ruling
by the Tennessee Schools
Athletic Association
(TSSAA) relating to the
potential participation
of homeschooled students
in public school
athletic programs.
During the School
Board's deliberations, a
number of issues have
arisen impacting our
ability to make a final
and informed decision.
For
example, we have been
unable to substantiate
what impact homeschooler
participation might have
on school funding,
campus security, equity,
fairness and a host of
other issues. Thus, our
work is continuing as we
try to have questions
answered and gather more
information on this
important issue. We
surveyed other districts
in Tennessee to gain
insight about their
decision and the thought
process behind such a
decision. We have been
reviewing the language
of the applicable law
and the TSSAA's ruling.
Finally, we have been
attempting to quantify
how many families our
decision might impact.
In
our analysis, we
discovered that many of
our families expressing
interest in the new
ruling are not actually
registered as homeschool
providers. This is an
important requirement of
the law. Therefore, to
assist families who
choose to homeschool
their own children, and
to avoid their
inadvertent breaking of
the law, we thought it
might be beneficial to
provide the following
information: The
Tennessee Code
Annotated, Section 4
9-6-3050 establishes
authority for parents to
homeschool their
children.
Homeschool parents can
access related
information and forms
directly from the school
district's website at
www.wcs.edu.
Select "FAQ How do
I..." then select
"register my child
for homeschool?"
State law requires the
following:
-
The
parent must provide
annual notice to the
director of schools
prior to the
beginning of each
school year of their
intent to conduct a
homeschool.
-
The
parent must provide
the names, number,
age and grade levels
of the children to
be homeschooled.
-
The
parent must provide
the location of the
school.
-
The
parent must provide
the proposed
curriculum to be
offered in the
homeschool.
-
The
parent must provide
the proposed hours
of instruction for
the homeschool.
-
The
parent must, at a
minimum, provide
proof of a high
school diploma or
GED.
-
The
parent must maintain
attendance records
and submit them at
the end of each
school year to the
director of schools.
-
The
parent must provide
at least (4) hours
of instruction per
day for 180 days
each school year.
-
The
parent must ensure
their children in
grades 5 and 7 take
the TCAP assessment.
Parents of ninth
grade students must
ensure their child
participates in the
appropriate state
assessment.
-
The
parent must consult
with the director of
schools in the event
their child does not
perform at grade
level on the
required assessment.
IN some cases, the
director of schools
may require the
parents to enroll in
a public, private,
or church-related
school.
-
The
parent must submit
evidence the
homeschooled student
has been vaccinated
as required under
Tennessee Law.
Williamson County
Schools stands ready to
help homeschool parents
comply with Tennessee
law. For additional
information or questions
contact Sherry Fewell at
472-4101.
Sincerely,
Mike
Looney, Ed.D.
