Dear Governor Pritzker and Members of the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate:
We ask that you oppose any efforts to further legislative consideration of HB2827, which seeks to establish the Homeschool Act in Illinois. (You can access the full-text version here.)
Previous efforts to regulate homeschooling in Illinois have historically failed to gain traction, and you can be rest assured that parent/guardian advocacy for homeschoolers has only intensified with the passage of time.
Per its supporters, HB2827 is designed to enhance accountability, prevent abuse from going unnoticed, and ensure the educational success of all Illinois students. While these are noble goals, the structure of HB2827 will not result in their accomplishment so much as:
A misdirection of already strained state resources
Distracting legal and logistical challenges
Potential infringement on the rights of both parents/guardians and students
Questions related to the obvious ambiguity of the bill, especially in the context of administrative and reporting requirements
Evidence that legislators fail to understand 1) why many of their constituents opt(ed) to homeschool in the first place; 2) the diverse and remarkable ways in which parents/guardians who homeschool create a successful learning experience for their children; 3) and, more fundamentally, the blatant irony of the state's failure to consistently apply the same rigorous standards of accountability and oversight within public-school systems
We all need to work together to ensure that our children are safe from abuse, never slip through the cracks, and are allowed to benefit from the educational opportunities that will serve them best. While parents and guardians would welcome further discussion of how the state can support homeschooled students and their families, HB2827 is anything but an effective jumping-off point for such a conversation. Moreover, it will only gain mounting opposition from those directly affected, as well as from anyone who grasps the implications of the aforementioned bullet points.
Thank you in advance for demonstrating your commitment to the children of Illinois by opposing HB2827.'
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The link to the full text of the bill can be found here.
An abbreviated version of the bill, as well as status updates about its progression through the House can be found here.
https://www.homeschoolfreedomcoalition.org/petition/stop-hb2827
https://www.ilhousegop.org/mccombie_homeschool_petition
https://www.ilhousegop.org/windhorst_homeschool_petition
https://reppauljacobs.com/2025/02/07/rep-jacobs-opposes-move-to-impose-regulations-on-homeschool-families/
https://repseverin.com/2025/02/07/severin-homeschool-regulations-bill-amounts-to-outrageous-government-overreach-launches-petition-to-protect-homeschool-freedom/
