Every year, OCEANetwork monitors any bills, initiatives, or rules that may negatively impact homeschool freedoms in Oregon. The need for vigilance is even greater during long legislative sessions, which happen every other year.
MDEach legislative session, OCEANetwork monitors bills that may affect Oregon homeschoolers. These are the bills we are tracking now.
Bills OCEANetwork Supports
HB 2187: Homeschool Freedom Bill (submitted by OCEANetwork)
HB 2187 was submitted by OCEANetwork and eliminates notification and testing requirements for Oregon homeschoolers.
The current law deprives low-scoring homeschooled students from the benefits of homeschooling, assuming that low scores mean failed teaching.
But the same ratio of low scores occurs in public schools and those public school students are not removed from their schools. See Falling through the cracks: Public school vs. homeschool.
The current Oregon homeschool law presumes that the State has a better capability to educate students than parents do. Oregon public school education statistics contradict that assumption.
See Five Unfounded Assumptions Embodied in Homeschool Regulation for further information.
HB 2052, 3445: Provides fines for public school truancy
Currently, homeschoolers are the only students in the state fined for violating truancy laws.
Before Covid, both public school and homeschool parents were subject to fines for violating Oregon compulsory attendance laws. When the State’s covid response for schools started causing truancy in public schools, the Legislature eliminated the fines for public school parents — leaving only homeschoolers subject to truancy fines.
We support this bill as it restores fair application of the laws. However, we ultimately would prefer removing truancy laws or compulsory attendance laws altogether.
Bills OCEANetwork OPPOSES
SB 891, SB 1100, HB 3217, HB 3624, HB 3909: State funding for homeschoolers (School Choice)
OCEANetwork’s policy is to oppose any legislation which gives government money to homeschoolers. We see such money as a direct threat to the homeschooling community, and particularly to those homeschoolers who do not take the money.
Government money sets the tone that homeschoolers are dependent on the state and thus should be regulated. We do not want to be continually fighting off new regulations because some homeschoolers take money from the government.
Here is what happened in Oklahoma.
HB 3322: Changing Parenting Time for a Parent Who Abused
HB 3322 lets a minor who is at least 14 years old ask the court to change the parenting time of a parent who has abused the child.
Abuse in the view of government staff, of course. The bill is too ambiguous to be a good bill.
HB 3624: Reimbursement for Required Homeschool Examinations
Directs education service districts to reimburse parents and legal guardians for fees incurred by parents and legal guardians related to examinations administered to homeschooled children.
Again, OCEANetwork opposes any bills where the government is funding private homeschoolers. There will surely be regulations imposed when homeschoolers take government funding, including such reimbursements.
HB 2508: Standardized Electronic Student Data Management System
Directs the Department of Education to develop and implement a standardized method to be used by school districts, education service districts and the department to electronically create, collect, use, maintain, disclose, transfer and access student data.
OCEANetwork contacted the House Committee On Education members on this issue (you can view a public copy of our letter). We also plan to speak in person to the Committee Chair, give testimony at the hearing of the bill in opposition, and ask the Republican Committee members to submit the amendment we requested.
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If you see another bill OCEANetwork should track, please let us know.
Rodger Williams
OCEANetwork Freedom Watch Team
If any of these bills require action on the part of the homeschool community, OCEANetwork will send an email Freedom Watch Alert with a call to action (sign up here so you don’t miss those emails). In the meantime, please share the information we’ve provided here with other Oregon homeschool families. If you have questions about this advisory, please contact OCEANetwork here so we can forward it on to our Freedom Watch Team.
You can help OCEANetwork protect the rights of Oregon families to do what is best for their children by donating to OCEANetwork and/or becoming an OCEANetwork Supporting Member.