Religious Exemption Is Still Under Attack

DANGERS of SB1031
The dangers of SB1031 extend beyond the observable assault on religious liberty and homeschool freedom. Virginia Code § 1-240.1 states, “A parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent’s child.”

Currently, When a family makes the serious decision to educate their children at home for deeply held, bona fide religious reasons, they shall be excused by an elected school board. The school board, answerable to the public, is tasked with ensuring the family’s convictions are not “…political, sociological or philosophical views or a merely personal moral code…”

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Under SB1031, judgment authority of a family’s most private decision and primary mission would rest in the office of the superintendent–and likely handled by staff–where there is much turnover, inadequate training on homeschool laws, paperwork is lost, and many mistakes. This leaves local school districts and superintendents susceptible to First Amendment lawsuits because, should there be a paperwork error causing a denial or delay, this would now be a potential violation of constitutional freedoms.

PROOF IN THE PUDDING
Because of anticipated battles for religious freedom, HEAV commissioned a first-ever formal study of Virginia’s religiously exempt homeschool students.

The 2019 study, entitled “The Academic Achievement Scores of Homeschool Students in the Commonwealth of Virginia: Home-Educated Students in General and Those Choosing Religious Exemption in Particular,” compared the standardized test scores of notice-of-intent (NOI) students and religiously exempt (RE) students in Virginia.

Here are three important takeaways from the study:
Both NOI and RE students scored higher than the nationwide average of 50th percentile for public school students.
Homeschool students who complied with the law by filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) scored an average of 36 to 41 percentile points above public school students.

Students who were religiously exempt (RE) from compulsory school attendance scored an average of 26 to 36 points above public school students.

The encouraging results of this academic study provide solid evidence that governmental oversight is not required for religiously exempt students—they are performing well above their public school counterparts.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong”

ENCOURAGEMENT
This year, there are 62k homeschoolers in Virginia (RE & NOI). Before the pandemic, there were 45k. This is explosive growth, 38% more homeschoolers! With this gravitational shift, fewer recall the monumental efforts it took to gain homeschool freedom in Virginia.

This threat is but an opportunity! It is in challenges that we grow.

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” – Peter Marshall

Homeschoolers, seasoned and green, young and old, first generation to third secular or religious, must unite. We must link arms in the winds and stand strong under pressure.

We must be vocal. We must be vibrant. We must be visible!

We need folks in Richmond again on Monday to testify AGAINST SB1031.