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UPDATE (4/30/2024) – OCEANetwork verified today that after we sent this advisory out Linn Benton Lincoln ESD has removed the offending language from their site.
Linn Benton Lincoln ESD (LBLESD) had a computer problem.
The system could not handle homeschoolers transferring to a local public school. There was just one slot for recording a location for the education: Local school or Homeschool. But not both.
The problem was that when a previously-homeschooled student showed up to enroll at the local school, they could not complete the enrollment process without putting the local school as the location of the education. Full stop! Somehow, the location needed to be changed to be the local school.
LBLESD had three options:
- The school could override the Homeschool location entry and notify LBLESD of the change.
- The school could call LBLESD and have them make the change.
- LBLESD could force homeschoolers to notify the ESD that the student was stopping homeschooling to enroll in the local public school.
LBLESD’s solution? On their website they post, “Students cannot be enrolled in a local public school until they have been withdrawn from home school.”
But there is no requirement to be “withdrawn from home school” in Oregon law. LBLESD made this rule up. Because they had a computer problem — and because they were unwilling to fix their own problem.
LBLESD neglected to mention that the problem was with their computer rather than a legal requirement. Parents and students believed “cannot” was a legal requirement because the ESD is supposed to be the authority.
OCEANetwork contacted LBLESD. We asked what would happen if a parent did not notify the ESD and then their student tried to enroll in the local public school. The plain language of LBLESD’s rule is that the student would be prevented from enrolling in the local public school.
The result is that LBLESD’s rule denies a class of children their civil rights by barring them from a free public school education, which all other children in the state have access to (except those lawfully expelled).
The ESD’s reason given is that a specific notification was not received by the ESD. Again, the notification in question is not mentioned or required by any Oregon statute or OAR.
LBLESD told us that their process does not deny students access to enrollment in their local district, that it sounds like there has been a misunderstanding of the process somewhere.
So OCEANetwork respectfully requested LBLESD that the offending sentence be removed from their website since it does not portray reality.
As of the publishing of this advisory (4/24/24) we made our request two weeks ago. However, the rule still stands on the LBLESD website: “Students cannot be enrolled in a local public school until they have been withdrawn from home school.”
Linn Benton Lincoln homeschoolers still believe they need to notify the ESD that their student is exiting homeschool before that student is allowed to enroll in the local school. Why? Because the ESD continues to tell them so.
Rodger Williams
OCEANetwork Freedom Watch Team
OCEANetwork will continue to monitor the situation and reach out to the LBLESD as needed. In the meantime, Oregon homeschoolers, especially those in the LBLESD, should be advised that notifying the ESD that your student is exiting homeschooling is NOT required by Oregon homeschool law. Please share with your homeschool friends and reach out to OCEANetwork if you have questions or see similar requirements being imposed elsewhere. We will forward it on to our Freedom Watch Team!
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Sign up for emails from OCEANetwork to stay up-to-date on this and other issues impacting the freedoms of homeschooling parents in Oregon.
You can help OCEANetwork protect the rights of Oregon families to do what is best for their children by donating or becoming an OCEANetwork Supporting Member