HEAV took immediate action after hearing from several concerned parents related to calls received from a district employee who indicated homeschool parents were “required by the state” to set an appointment and take the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) test. In addition to posting a priority news alert on HEAV’s social media page and groups, HEAV contacted Carroll County’s assistant superintendent to investigate.

HEAV learned two misunderstandings had occurred in the district. There was, apparently, a communication received from the VDOE relating to the VALLSS program, and district personnel interpreted the communication to apply to homeschoolers. The second misunderstanding occurred as a district employee thought homeschoolers had to take the VALLSS test rather than simply being offered the option to do so.

HEAV is pleased to report that Carroll County’s assistant superintendent worked quickly to address the concern with district personnel. He also agreed to ensure that all parents who received inaccurate information would be contacted to rectify the situation. HEAV is thankful to Carroll County for taking swift and effective action to resolve these concerns for homeschool families.

On 07/18/24, HEAV posted an alert in regard to an alarming email sent to Prince William County homeschool families soliciting participation in a “student emotional well-being” assessment. The message was delivered through a company called SchoolStatus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. While HEAV’s investigation has confirmed this communication was sent to homeschoolers in error, we remain focused on addressing the apparent privacy breach.

State law prohibits public school districts from disclosing information that is provided by a parent or student to satisfy the home instruction statute or subdivision B1 of §22.1-254 to any person or entity outside the local school division.

PWCS does not deny they have provided homeschoolers’ information to SchoolStatus. However, the division’s attorney responded to HEAV by stating that, based on his discussions with staff, the division operates in full compliance with Va. Code § 22.1-254.1 and any other statute related to home instruction.

HEAV believes the division’s attorney has failed to sufficiently investigate and address the apparent privacy breach, and we are currently working with Scott Woodruff of HSLDA to address these privacy considerations. We are not recommending that families take action at this point as we continue to work with PWCS’s Office of Division Counsel. Please be assured, we will continue to provide updates as this situation develops.

For immediate assistance, please call the HEAV office at 804-278-9200, and ask for Patricia Beahr, HEAV’s Director of Government Affairs.

Your HEAV school board monitor team found a concern in the district’s most recent religious exemption (RE) policy draft. The policy draft would have required parents who have already received an RE to resubmit a request annually to the superintendent by mail or in the school board office.
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HEAV reached out to the school board chair regarding this policy draft. We explained the historical and state-wide practice for processing REs as an exemption from compulsory attendance law. Highland County now understands that the RE law does not include an annual notification.
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We are pleased to report Highland County promptly responded, and our concerns were immediately addressed during the following school board meeting. The policy of concern has been removed.
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We are thankful to Highland for taking quick and corrective action to achieve this positive resolution.

HEAV immediately contacted the school board upon discovering an agenda attachment that directly named six children and five parents, including their grade levels and physical addresses. Although HEAV is thankful to the district for taking swift corrective action, we are reminded of the legislature’s continued failure to provide reasonable, student privacy protections by adding homeschoolers to the closed meeting exemptions already protecting public school student privacy.

Over the last two years, HEAV and HSLDA initiated HB1953 and HB873 – bills that would require school boards to have closed meetings when discussing personal information on homeschool documents or religious exemption letters unless parents objected. Both bills failed along party lines. HEAV intends to have such legislation introduced again during the 2025 session. Stay tuned!

ATTENTION PRINCE WILLIAM HOMESCHOOLERS: A homeschool parent alerted HEAV that they received an alarming email soliciting participation in a “student emotional well-being” assessment. This parent’s child has never been enrolled in the public school system.

Parents are not required to respond to this solicitation.
We are hopeful this email was sent to homeschool parents in error. HEAV is currently investigating this. If you received this email, please forward it to office@heav.org, and caution other homeschoolers in your community.

HEAV reached out to Gloucester’s homeschool liaison regarding a miscommunication on a form letter relating to the evidence of progress requirement that had caused confusion. We are pleased to report the district promptly responded and has updated their acknowledgement form letter to clarify the evidence of progress requirement does not apply to children who were under the age of six as of September 30th of the school year.

HEAV is thankful to Gloucester for this positive resolution and their dedication to the law and to the families they serve.

What You Should Know:

• A miscommunication by the superintendent’s office relating to the requirements in the law may misguide school personnel and parents or cause confusion in regard to their legal obligations. Please contact HEAV anytime you have questions or need for clarification.
• Homeschool evidence of progress is referenced in subsection C of the homeschool law. The law states: “The requirements of this subsection shall not apply to children who are under the age of six as of September 30 of the school year.”

Your HEAV school board monitor team found several important concerns with the district’s religious exemption (RE) policy and regulation. These included a requirement for parents AND children, age 12 and older, to complete a “Religious Exemption Interview Form” and make an appointment to be interviewed in person by a public school district employee regarding the validity of their RE.

The regulation further placed authority into the hands of an employee to “evaluate if the requested exemption is due to bonafide religious training or belief” before it received “a recommendation” for submission to the school board by the superintendent.

Lastly, the district’s policy required parents who have already received an RE to resubmit an annual request to the superintendent or designee in order to renew the RE.

HEAV worked amicably with Alexandria’s attorney regarding these important concerns. After HEAV’s intervention, both the policy and the regulation have been revised to honor and protect the integrity and privacy of parents—and their minor children—seeking a religious exemption.

We are thankful to Alexandria’s attorney and school board for their attentive response and for this positive resolution.

What You Should Know:

• The law assigns this authority to the local school board—not the superintendent, designee, or other employee—to act on behalf of the state Board of Education in receiving and acknowledging a religious exemption.
• HEAV understands that religious exemption correspondence is personal, private, legal documentation. Only school board members should have access to religious exemption correspondence and discussion.

HEAV has worked with the division superintendent and homeschool liaison regarding website text that misrepresented a notice of intent to homeschool as an “application.” Additionally, we discussed the law and VDOE guidance in relation to NOI options (iii) and (iv).

We had a very pleasant and productive conversation with the superintendent and liaison. We are pleased to report all concerns have been resolved. HEAV is thankful to Lancaster for its prompt and courteous response and resolution of these concerns.

What You Should Know:

• The home instruction law states, “Any parent who elects to provide home instruction…shall…notify the division superintendent…of his intention to so instruct the child…” The law does not require parents to submit an “application.”
• The home instruction law allows all parents the opportunity to choose homeschooling for their children. Parents who possess a GED can notify the superintendent under either option (iii) or option (iv) in the home instruction law.
• As it relates to NOI option (iii), there are no Virginia statutory or regulatory requirements that govern a parent’s selection of a correspondence school or a distance learning program. As stated in the VDOE’s Home Instruction Handbook, “…no judgment of the materials is required of the school division superintendent.”

Resources:
HEAV Resource: HEAV Communications
HEAV Resource: Law Flowchart
HEAV Resource: Notifying With A GED
HEAV Resource: Homeschooling Mid-Year: Starting Immediately
HEAV Resource: “Approval” of NOI
Compulsory Attendance Law: §22.1-254
Home Instruction Law: §22.1-254.1
VDOE Resource: VDOE 2023 Home Instruction Handbook

Several school divisions across the Commonwealth have identified it is “prime time” to advertise its virtual public school option exclusively to homeschool families. In the coming months, you may receive letters, emails, or phone calls in relation to this effort.