Legislative Update March 9
HB 230, Amend Law Defining Home Schools, has passed the first reading and has been assigned to the House Committee on Education.
This bill will allow parents more flexibility in choosing the additional educational sources and experiences for their children. These sources could include co-ops and tutors providing core instruction (language arts, math, science and social studies).
If they are not listed below, contact your representative and ask him/her to support HB 230.
Here are the 34 sponsors.
Chris
Malone; Susan
Martin; Mark
Brody; Ruth
Samuelson; (Primary)
Hugh
Blackwell; Rayne Brown;
Rob
Bryan; Dana
Bumgardner; Justin
Burr; George
Cleveland; Jeff
Collins; Debra
Conrad; Jerry
Dockham; John
Faircloth; Carl
Ford; Mark
Hollo; Frank
Iler; Charles
Jeter; Bert
Jones; Jonathan
Jordan; Allen
McNeill; Chris
Millis; Tim
Moffitt; Larry
Pittman; Michele
Presnell; Nathan
Ramsey; Dennis
Riddell; Stephen Ross;
Jason
Saine; Jacqueline
Shaffer; Phil
Shepard; Edgar
Starnes; Mike
Stone; Rena
Turner. (Co-Sponsors)
SB 189, Amend Law Defining Home Schools, has passed the first reading and has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Education/Higher Education.
This is a companion bill to HB 230.
If they are not listed below, contact your senator and ask him/her to support SB 189.
Here are the 15 sponsors
Bill Cook;
Chad Barefoot;
Norman W. Sanderson;
(Primary)
Andrew C. Brock;
David L. Curtis;
Warren Daniel;
Jim Davis;
Thom Goolsby;
Kathy Harrington;
Neal Hunt;
E. S. (Buck) Newton;
Ronald J. Rabin;
Jeff Tarte;
Tommy Tucker;
Mike Woodard.
(Co-Sponsors)
HB 144, Homeschool Education Income Tax Credit, has passed the first reading and has been assigned to the House Committee on Education. If favorable it will go to the House Committee on Finance, and if favorable it will go to the House Appropriations Committee.
This bill extends a $1,250 tax credit per semester for each child enrolled in a homeschool. There are a number of conditions that should not be a problem to most homeschoolers. Families claiming the tax credit will be subject to no additional regulations or requirements, other than identifying the children who are being homeschooled. The credit in not a refundable credit, but any unused portion of the credit can be carried forward for the succeeding three years.
If they are not listed below, contact your representative and ask him/her to support HB 144.
Here are the 8 sponsors.
Larry
Pittman; Carl
Ford; Chris
Malone; Jacqueline
Shaffer; (Primary)
John
Blust; Michele
Presnell; John
Torbett; Rena
Turner (Co-Sponsors)
HB 228, Home Schoolers Participate in School Sports, has passed the first reading and has been assigned to the House Committee on Education. If favorable it will go to the House Committee on Finance.
NCHE has not taken a position on this bill. However, we recognize that it is supported by many homeschoolers, and it could be beneficial to those families. It will have no effect on families in the homeschool community whose children don't participate in public school sports.
Possible problem areas in the bill:
- “Assessment of academic progress. – A home schooled student shall demonstrate any required academic eligibility in all subjects taken in the home schooled program by a method of evaluation agreed upon by the parent and the school principal.” It may be difficult for some parents and principals to agree on a method.
- Giving the principal the final determination on whether to allow the student to participate will virtually shut out any homeschool student from participating in public school high school sports, due to North Carolina High School Athletic Association regulations. A few middle school principals and coaches are more amenable to having homeschool students on their teams.
Here are the 16 sponsors.
McElraft;
Cleveland;
Ford;
Brody;
(Primary)
B. Brown;
R. Brown;
Bumgardner;
Dobson;
Faircloth;
Jones;
Jordan;
Malone;
Stam;
Turner;
Warren;
Wray.
(Co-Sponsors)