By Sam Douglass

On Friday, the Vermont Senate considered a short amendment that its sponsor said helps to address child welfare concerns, while homeschool advocates say it places unnecessary oversight and additional obstacles for families who homeschool. 

Sen. Martine Gulick (D-Chittenden Central) offered an amendment to  H.930, the student absenteeism bill that has taken shape since early in the session. Her amendment came as a response to concerns brought to her attention from a number of superintendents. According to those superintendents, there is concern that some parents are using homeschool enrollment to circumvent state oversight into absenteeism.

This is important to address, she said, because chronic absenteeism can be an early indicator of deeper issues that include abuse or neglect.

“What I have to share with you today is not about broad trends or most families, it’s about a small number of cases where the current law creates an unintentional loophole allowing students to exit oversight precisely when their risk is highest.”

The text of her amendment stated:

 “(1) Prior to acknowledgement of enrollment as required pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the Secretary or designee shall provide notice of the enrollment application to the superintendent of the student’s resident school district. The superintendent and the Department for Children and Families shall notify the Agency if there are documented and unresolved concerns related to child welfare, educational neglect, or truancy involving the student, to the extent allowed by law.” 

Under current rules, parents are required to submit a home study enrollment notice to the Agency of Education, which is required to verify enrollment within 10 days. 

Homeschool advocates argued that the amendment was vaguely defined, it created delays and an additional procedural step before enrollment is acknowledged, and would increase state oversight of homeschooling families.

Some homeschool advocates said that less state oversight is a feature of homeschooling and a reason why families choose it for their children.

“When a parent tries to homeschool, they’re trying to keep them out of that system,” said Alison Despathy, a statehouse insider and advocate for Vermont’s homeschool community. “Vermont has high quality and well functioning homeschool laws, and a good community of homeschool families. It’s about respecting a family’s right to choose for their children”

According to Gulick, there are 5,000 students enrolled in home study across the state. She and other Senators stressed that the majority of these students are offered a robust course of study, but that there are some students whom they believe should receive more oversight as a matter of child welfare.

The main argument on the Senate floor in opposition largely centered on a lack of testimony and vetting by the Education Committee. This was also voiced by homeschooling advocates. 

The amendment was ultimately defeated with only six senators voting in favor, however, Sen. Seth Bongartz (D-Bennington), the chair of the Senate Education Committee, commented during discussion that the issue raised by the amendment is worthy of exploration. This sentiment was also expressed by other senators who recommended that the issue be addressed in future legislative sessions. 

“…we did take testimony on the entire notion that we have 5,000 kids in home study who we have zero knowledge of,” said Sen Kesha Ram-Hinsdale (D-Chittenden Southeast). “We are debating a larger education reform effort that has a lot to do with how are our kids doing? How are their proficiencies? How are our schools doing as we lose student population?”

The legislature may also consider larger changes to Vermont’s home study laws in future sessions.  H.930, as it was passed by the Senate, includes reporting from the Agency of Education due later this year with recommendations for updates to Vermont’s home study program law.