Since the Santa Rosa School District’s Board meeting November 17, the district has discovered more home school families have given an address outside of the county. Therefore, the district is still asking for proof of residency, according to Laura Austin, principal of the Santa RosaBlendedAcademy. The Home School Legal Defense Association believes the problem is not fully resolved, but HSLDA Attorney T.J. Schmidt said he received a letter from the district “indicating they will no longer be sending out termination notices.”
Since the meeting, Austin said things have quieted down. “I’ve not heard from any home school groups.” She said the those families who were upset over the termination letters were contacted and assured they’re in compliance.
While Austin didn’t have the numbers to say how many families the district discovered taking advantage of SRSD resources while not living here, she did say they continue to find them about once a week. “It does happen quite often. Two weeks ago, someone gave a vacant lot.” She said she feels asking for proof of residency is a reasonable request “in order to protect the money of taxpayers.”
Several attendees to the November 17 meeting agreed the request itself was reasonable but not the termination notice. Speaking at the meeting, Schmidt said Florida statute only requires home school parents provide the names, addresses, and birthdates of all children they are teaching at home to the district school superintendent of the county in which the parent resides. There is no requirement a parent prove residency, according to Schmidt.
Austin said she believes the concern arose over the way the termination letter was worded. She also said the first two letters before the termination letter suggested those with questions should call the district.
Austin presented the new version of the letter to families who have not provided proof of residency yet. She said the district is on the second letter right now and this new third will be on its way if proof of residence is not provided. This new letter does not mention the three-day deadline to register a student for public or private school nor any threat of criminal prosecution. It does say, “Please be advised that your intent to establish and maintain a home education program will not be registered in our district until proof of residency has been received.”
While the services the county provides to home school families are optional, such as FloridaVirtualSchool, she said it is “still someone’s job to do the testing or check the portfolio.” In essence, the more students are registered, the more resources they consume in the district, according to Austin. Note the district, unlike with public school students, does not receive federal funding per home school student, Austin said.
Austin said the county has a history of a strong relationship with the home school community and only wishes this continue while protecting district resources. For now, this third letter still has yet to go out and the HSLDA is still monitoring Santa Rosa County. Keep up with the Press Gazette for any further noteworthy steps this story takes.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Home school attorney said proof of residency problem not fully resolved