Special Education laws affect homeschoolers in several ways.
The first is the identification of the child as being elegible for services. Current law requires districts to offer testing to any child referred to them through the Child Find Program. Some homeschoolers want to ensure that they continue to have this right. Others want nothing to do with any government programs, especially ones that single their child out. In NH, parents have the right to home educate their special needs children with no more regulation than other children, and to refuse services. This is not true in all states. Once the child is identified, with the advent of national databases, that designation could follow him/her to any state where his/her parents relocate. The home education laws in that state might not permit the parent to do what s/he thinks is best for the child.
The second has to do with delivery of services. Under current federal and state law, in NH a parent's letter of intent to homeschool can be taken by the district, if it so chooses, as refusal of services. It is up to each district whether or not it will offer special education services to homeschooled children. This has a strange twist -- it is only during the years when compulsory attendance requires the parent to submit a letter of intent that the district can refuse services. Until the age of 6, districts must provide services to "homeschooled" children. (I have never investigated this issue as it applies to a child who turns 16.)
Many, many districts do provide special education services to homeschoolers. Some wish to work with the parent to provide the optimal learning environment for the child. Some see it as preventing problems down the road should the child re-enter the public school system. Some do so reluctantly, as part of a negotiated agreement when an unhappy parent withdraws the child from public school and his/her IEP, and threatens to sue the school for not following through on its legal obligations.
While it may have started out simply changing the dates when districts submit their requests for catastrophic aid (when the special education costs for that particular year exceed some limit), it now re-defines which prisoners ages 18-21 are elegible for special services. Hopefully, this does not affect any homeschooling families.
You can also go to
this site
and type in "SB85" in the box labelled "Bill Number" to find the
status of the bill.
Referred to Senate Education Committee 01/30/03
Senate Education Committee Hearing 02/19/03
Senate Education Committee 2-0
recommends amendment and adoption
Senate Vote - voice vote, adopted amendment 03/06/03
Referred to Senate Finance Committee 03/06/03
Senate Finance Committee Hearing
Senate Finance Committee Vote and Reports
Senate Vote
Referred to House Education Committee
House Education Committee Hearing
House Education Committee Vote and Reports
House Vote
Conference Committee Vote
Governor Signs/Vetoes Bill
| Name | Telephone | Residence | Comments | |
| Sen Iris W. Estabrook(D) | 868-5524 | iris.estabrook@leg.state.nh.us | Durham | Senate Public Institutions, Health and Human Services Committee member |
The bill introduces some new fiscal and feasibility standards, and requires they be documented in writing in the IEP.
You can also go to
this site
and type in "HB448" in the box labelled "Bill Number" to find the
status of the bill.
Referred to House Education Committee 01/09/03
House Education Committee Hearing 02/11/03, 1:00PM, Room 207, LOB
House Education Committee voted 03/06/03 to
recommend veto
House Vote Scheduled 03/20/03 (Consent Calendar)
Referred to Senate Education Committee
Senate Education Committee Hearing
Senate Education Committee Vote and Reports
Senate Vote
Conference Committee Vote
Governor Signs/Vetoes Bill
| Name | Telephone | Residence | Comments | |
| Rep John R M. Alger(R+D) | 786-9562(H) |
john.alger@eagle1st.com john.alger@leg.state.nh.us |
Rumney | prime sponsor, House Education Committee vice chair |
| Rep Lee G. Slocum(R) | 673-2275(H) 673-0950(W) |
lslocum@jlc.net | Amherst | critic of Amherst's progressive schools |
| Rep Timothy J. Allen(R) | 654-5784(H) 442-4142(W) |
allentj@tycoelectronics.com | Mont Vernon | same SAU as Rep Slocum |
| Rep G Michael Gilman(R) | 444-2482(H) 444-1512(Work) |
mgilman@ncia.net | Littleton | Labor, Industrial & Rehabilitative Services Committee chair |
| Rep Neal M. Kurk(R) | 529-7253(H) | neal.kurk@leg.state.nh.us | Weare | House Finance Committee chair |
| Sen Robert Boyce(R) | 875-7371(H) | senatorboyce@metrocast.net | Alton Bay | Senate Finance Committee vice chair |
| Sen Carl Johnson(R) | 279-6492(H) |
carl.johnson@leg.state.nh.us carljean@worldpath.net |
Meredith | Senate Education Committee vice chair |
This resolution is not binding, and is adopted each year.
You can also go to
this site
and type in "HCR3" in the box labelled "Bill Number" to find the
status of the bill.
Referred to House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee 01/08/03
House St-Fed Rel & Vets Affs Committee Hearing 01/14/03
House St-Fed Rel & Vets Affs Committee
recommends adoption 13-0
House Vote - adopted 01/30/03