Wyoming homeschool families say they are “thrilled” and “celebrating” being set free from an annual requirement that they submit their curricula to local school districts, as well as making some education history.
“I am thrilled, grateful and relieved,” said Shannon Rankin, a Sheridan woman homeschooling five children. “It’s a relief to not have to feel that the government is watching or prodding or approving or denying something, and to really be in a place where we have a government that is actually doing what it is supposed to do.”
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed the Homeschool Freedom Act, House Bill 46, into law at the end of last week. It will take effect July 1.
Homeschool Legal Defense Association Senior Counsel Will Estrada said the law makes Wyoming the first state in the nation to accomplish complete homeschool freedom legislatively. Eleven other states did it through Supreme Court precedent.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Governor Gordon signed HB 46 into law. This is a significant moment not just for homeschoolers in Wyoming, but nationwide,” he said. “Wyoming is the 12th state in the nation where there is no requirement that families file anything with the government to homeschool.”
Estrada helped advise the state’s homeschool association, Homeschool Wyoming, about the legislation. He testified on behalf of the bill before the Wyoming Senate’s Education Committee.
Under HB 46, parents who remove students from a public school to homeschool would still be required to contact the local district and inform officials of their decision.
However, there now is no curriculum contact requirement, and no further contact required after that initial notification.
“It’s an incredibly exciting moment for the homeschool community in Wyoming and more broadly in the United States,” Estrada said.
He said a similar bill has been introduced in Tennessee, and Wyoming’s passage of HB 46 will be a “centerpiece” for the association’s argument for Tennessee to change its requirements.
Celebrating ‘Educational Freedom’
Homeschool Wyoming President Brenna Lowry said homeschoolers across the state are “celebrating educational freedom.”
She thanked Rep. Tomi Strock, R-Douglas, for sponsoring the legislation and for the others who advocated for the bill.
“Parental rights are reflected and upheld in the passage of this bill and Wyoming joins 11 other states that require no notice of intent to homeschool,” she said. “This is an historic moment as Wyoming is the first state in our nation’s history to roll back homeschool regulations.”
An attempt to reach Strock for comment was not immediately returned.
Rankin said while submitting the annual curriculum notification was “not hard to do” it was “awkward” because the school district had no power in statue to approve or disapprove her curriculum. She homeschools five children from preschool age to a high school senior.
Rankin said the government does not grant parents’ rights to raise their children, the rights are from God. She sees the government’s role as protecting, defending and upholding those rights, and HB 46 fits that role in terms of education.
“Parenting is not the government’s job,” she said. “God has given these children to us. These are our kids, and we know them best and it’s our God-given right to educate them.
“And it’s not even just our right, God said we are to do it, it’s our responsibility and obligation to educate them and we may choose tutors or other things to do that but it’s up to us to decide that.”
In Casper, Theresa Enders, a homeschool mom of two, characterized passage of legislation as positive, but said her annual contact with the Natrona County School District was not a personal concern.
“I know a lot of people on the homeschool side don’t like it,” Enders said of the annual requirement. “I’m glad it’s going through overall. It’s not something I felt strongly about.”
The legislation received positive feedback from both the Wyoming Department of Education and Wyoming Association of School Administrators.
The Wyoming Senate passed the legislation Feb. 24 by a 24-2 vote with one absent. The Homeschool Freedom Act passed the House on Jan. 23 by a vote of 54-6, with two representatives excused.
States in addition to Wyoming that now give homeschoolers freedom to teach without any notification are Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Texas.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
