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SALT LAKE CITY — During the 2014 Utah Legislature, lawmakers passed bills and funding that will affect every Utah student — even those who aren't enrolled in public schools.
SB39, which was passed in the House on March 11, puts the standards for home-schoolers firmly in the hands of their parents. Once Gov. Gary Herbert signs the bill, requirements dealing with state curriculum, school hours, and renewing an annual affidavit will no longer exist for home-schooled students.
While lawmakers who opposed SB39 say it's a disservice to those students, many home-schooling parents are feeling a sense of relief.
“Home-schoolers just got a little bit of breathing room, which allows us, legally, to pursue the things we feel (are) the best for our families,” said home-schooling mom Sarah Slade. “Nobody has more invested interest in the education of their children than the parents.”
Slade, who has home-schooled her children for the past 10 years, no longer has to follow a certain curriculum or meet hour requirements. Now, she can focus on what she deems important to her children.
Home-schoolers just got a little bit of breathing room, which allows us, legally, to pursue the things we feel (are) the best for our families.
–Sarah Slade, home-schooling mother
That was the goal of Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, who sponsored SB39.
“The state is saying, ‘We’re out of your way. You do what you think is right from an educational perspective, and that’s OK,’” Osmond said.
“Parents are the experts,” Slade said, “so they should be allowed to choose what is best for their children — especially in such a vital area of education.”
The measure that brought her relief created concern among some lawmakers at the state Capitol.
Democrats, including Rep. Marie Poulson, D-Salt Lake City, and Rep. Carole Spackman Moss, D-Salt Lake City, spoke out against the measure, saying “instructional requirements are appropriate no matter where a student is taught.”
But Osmond argues that the real standards are college entrance exams, which students will still have to take. For Slade, whose 17-year-old is attending college a year early, that's validation.
“No regrets; it’s been the best decision we’ve made as a family,” she said.
SB39 is currently on its way to the governor's desk.
