Compulsory Attendance Laws Change for Homeschoolers

    The 2015 Legislative Session in the state of Oregon had one key law change that affects homeschoolers.  

    Compulsory attendance age will be lowered to age 6 for the 2016-2017 school year.

    Starting July 1, 2016, (not this school year, but next) families will be required to notify to their local ESD their intent to homeschool at the age of six (6). (That means already six on the first day of September.) This should change nothing for those of you who are homeschooling now. Grade determination has already been established.  

    OCEANetwork fought against lowering the compulsory attendance age, but due to Democrat Party control of the House, Senate, and Governor, homeschoolers lost ground in the area of compulsory attendance age. 

    Once it became obvious that the committee was going to lower the compulsory attendance age in spite of homeschoolers' efforts through OCEANetwork, they worked hard to have it only lowered to 6 instead of 5 as originally submitted and to ensure the testing schedule for homeschoolers would not be impacted.

    OCEANetwork will be on hand as the rules are rewritten and this new law is implemented in the 2016-2017 school year. Watch for specific impacts as OCEANetwork continues to clarify your rights and responsibilities.

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2015R1/Downloads/MeasureAnalysisDocument/27478

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