New Jersey lawmakers propose tighter oversight for homeschooling

The New Jersey legislature is reviewing two proposed bills that would place more rules and limitations on homeschooling in the state

New Jersey Assembly Bill 5825 would require parents or guardians who choose to homeschool their child to officially inform their local school district in writing

They would need to send a letter to the superintendent informing them of the child's name and age in order to register their child in the homeschool program

The letter must be sent by August 1st of each school year or within 14 days of the start of homeschooling

Along with the required letter notifying the school district of homeschooling, parents must also submit a copy of the curriculum they plan to use, which must follow the New Jersey student learning standards

The bill requires homeschool supervisors to keep a student portfolio, including work samples, reading lists

and an annual evaluation by a licensed teacher or psychologist, not the parent, and submit it

yearly to the district superintendent. Garden State lawmakers are also considering Assembly Bill

5796 which would require a homeschooled child and their parent or guardian to meet with school officials The meeting would give the parent a chance to ask for support from the school district for their homeschooling needs and allow the designated staff member to perform a general health and wellness check of the child

Homeschooling regulations vary depending on the state. Advocates of regulating homeschooling argue the practice can shield abuse. However, limited data on homeschooled children has led

a few studies on their risk of mistreatment. According to the National Home Education Research

Institute, there are approximately between 77,000 to 94,000 homeschooled students in New Jersey

Homeschooling rates have steadily grown about two to eight percent annually and saw a sharp

increase from 2019 to 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. And according to Science Direct

since the pandemic, an estimated 3.5 million children were reported to be homeschooled between

2023 and 2024. Straight Arrow News has reached out to the Coalition for Responsible Home Education

a homeschool advocacy group founded in 2013 by homeschool alumni, for comment on the New Jersey bills

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. If you want more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com