Homeschool Guidelines Changed - Board of Education
State Board Revises Homeschool Guidelines to Match State Law
The Mississippi State Board of Education approved changes to its homeschool guidelines on Sept. 18 to bring them in line with state statute.
Dr. Marshall, presenting the item to the board, said the revisions drew significant public input. "There were 52 public comments for this item. All centered around two sections of that policy," Marshall said, citing the certification enrollment date, originally Sept. 15, and a requirement that homeschooling families identify the public school they would otherwise attend. Marshall said the enrollment deadline "was still September 15th" in the department's guidelines even though "the law moved that back to August 15th," and said both provisions "are in statute," referring to Mississippi Code sections cited in the meeting as 37-19-31 and 37-13-91. The board approved the revisions without recorded opposition.
The changes mean homeschooling families must now certify enrollment a month earlier than before and disclose the public school zone tied to their address. According to the board's presentation, the requirements stem from state law rather than new board policy, meaning the department had limited discretion in how the disclosure rules were written.