CURRENT GRADE: F
There are no tax dollars that follow the student.
Homeschooling is very burdensome with overwhelming government intrusion.
Compulsory education is required from ages 6-17.
Education Options
- Charter Schools
- There are 372 approved in the state.
- Students are enrolled through a lottery system.
- Oversight provided by school districts, the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and the Board of Regents.
Homeschooling Laws
Here are state requirements on the topic of homeschooling:
- Notice of intent to homeschool must be filed with the local school district (unless you live in NYC and it should be sent to the NYC department of education.
- Must submit and Individualized Home Instruction Plan to include child’s name, age, and grade level; a list of your syllabi, curriculum materials, textbooks, or plan of instruction; dates for submission of quarterly reports; and the name of whoever is giving the instruction.
- Must comply with 900 hours of instruction for grades 1-6 and 990 for 7-12.
- Subject requirements must be met (vary based on grade level).
- Must file quarterly reports to district superintendent that include number of hours of instruction, material covered in each subject, and evaluation.
- Annual assessments required.
- Home schooled students my not participate in public school athletics.
Religious Exemptions:
The state has no formal laws related to religious exemptions but homeschooling only requires notification of beginning and ending.
The First Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Many argue that a religious conviction to provide a home-based education is constitutionally protected and a state religious exemption law is not a requirement to be able to homeschool on religious grounds.
It should be noted that the U.S. Supreme Court in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) established that “Under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, a state law requiring that children attend school past eighth grade violates the parents’ constitutional right to direct the religious upbringing of their children.” (The case involved a challenge of a 16-year-old student to be exempt, so the scope was limited)
