School Choice Round-Up

There is good news and bad from the states on school choice, as compiled by the Heartland Institute in its School Reform News.

First, the bad news:

• “A Minnesota family choosing to educate their child at home was threatened with legal action by local government school officials over alleged violations of the state’s laws requiring compulsory attendance. In December 2015, Wayzeta Public School District (WPSD) officials notified the family of their alleged failure to file a “mandatory” notice of intent paperwork. WPSD included in the notification a warning that it planned to file charges with local law enforcement and government school truancy enforcers. Minnesota law requires homeschooling parents to file a notice of intent for children under the age of 16, but the child in question is 17.”
• “A state judge in Nevada is siding with opponents of a groundbreaking achievement in school choice, agreeing to freeze implementation of the state’s education savings account (ESA) program until a final ruling can be made on its legality. The decision is forcing thousands of students to remain in government schools for an indeterminate amount of time.”

Now the good:

“California’s State Board of Education (CBOE) unanimously approved a request to transform an alternative education program at a local traditional public school into a public charter school, now called the Ross Valley Charter School. CBOE determined on January 14 the Ross Valley School District’s (RVSD) Multi-Age Program met all the state’s criteria required to establish a new charter school, which will now be allowed to relocate its operations and operate independently from the school district’s supervision.”

And:

“During a regular meeting of the school board in Tyler County, West Virginia, board President Bonnie Henthorn announced she was withdrawing her children from the government-operated school system so she could homeschool them. Board members are calling on Henthorn to resign, but she is resisting calls to do so.”

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Photo by Gage Skidmore

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