Alaska State Legislature
Alaska Home Schooling
Compulsory School Age
Alaska's compulsory attendance
statutes do not apply if the child is "being educated in the child's
home by a parent or legal guardian." [Sec. 14.30.010 (12)] This
exemption to the Compulsory Education Law allows children to be
homeschooled by a parent or guardian, without any state-mandated
notification or testing.
Sec. 14.30.010. When attendance is compulsory.
SB 134 passed unanimously both
Houses of the Alaska Legislature in April, 1997 and became law on
September 2, 1997. SB 134 adds an exemption to the Compulsory Education
Law in statute allowing children to be homeschooled by a parent or
guardian. No strings attached. The text of the bill (now law) follows:
BASIS Text for CSSB 134(HES)
SB 134 SO134B
1. "An Act relating to home
schooling for elementary and secondary students."
2. BE IT ENACTED
BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
3. *Section 1. AS 14.30.010(b) is amended by adding a
new paragraph to read:
4. (12) is being educated in the child's home
by a parent or legal guardian.
SB134 does not eliminate the
possibility for families to participate in state or district sponsored
correspondence programs or becoming private schools. It simply codifies
current practice for many homeschoolers throughout the state - who were
not within the law previously. Also, it allows homeschoolers who were
previously involved with government programs or registered as private
schools to simplify their structure - if they desire to do so.
Chapter 14.30. PUPILS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR
PUPILS
Article 01. COMPULSORY EDUCATION
Sec. 14.30.010. When
attendance compulsory.
(a) Every child between seven and 16 years of age shall attend school
at the public school in the district in which the child resides during
each school term. Every parent, guardian or other person having the
responsibility for or control of a child between seven and 16 years of
age shall maintain the child in attendance at a public school in the
district in which the child resides during the entire school term,
except as provided in (b) of this section.
(b) This section does not apply if a child
(1) is provided an academic education comparable to that offered
by the public schools in the area, either by
(A) attendance at a private school in which the teachers are
certificated according to AS 14.20.020 ;
(B) tutoring by
personnel certificated according to AS 14.20.020 ; or
(C)
attendance at an educational program operated in compliance with
AS 14.45.100 - 14.45.200 by a religious or other private school;
(2) attends a school operated by the federal government;
(3) has a physical or mental condition that a competent medical
authority determines will make attendance impractical;
(4) is in the custody of a court or law enforcement authorities;
(5) is temporarily ill or injured;
(6) has been suspended or expelled under AS 14.03.160 or
suspended or denied admittance under AS 14.30.045 ;
(7) resides more than two miles from either a public school or a
route on which transportation is provided by the school authorities,
except that this paragraph does not apply if the child resides
within two miles of a federal or private school that the child is
eligible and able to attend;
(8) is excused by action of the school board of the district at a
regular meeting or by the district superintendent subject to
approval by the school board of the district at the next regular
meeting;
(9) has completed the 12th grade;
(10) is enrolled in
(A) a state boarding school established under AS 14.16; or
(B) a full-time program of correspondence study approved by the
department; in those school districts providing an approved
correspondence study program, a student may be enrolled either
in the district correspondence program or in the centralized
correspondence study program;
(11) is equally well-served by an educational experience approved
by the school board as serving the child's educational interests
despite an absence from school, and the request for excuse is made
in writing by the child's parents or guardian and approved by the
principal or administrator of the school that the child attends;
(12) is being educated in the child's home by a parent or legal
guardian.
