Bill Aiming To Establish Regulations For Home Schools In Territory To Be Heard Monday

ST. CROIX — A bill sponsored by Senator Novelle Francis, Jr. that seeks to establish regulations for home instruction, or home school, will be heard in the Committee on Education and Workforce Development on Monday, a press release Mr. Francis’s office issued Friday has revealed.

Mr. Francis says he’s offering Bill No. 31-0391 on behalf of families across the territory who have chosen to home-school their children.

According to the first-term Democrat, the move to create legislation for home-schooling recognizes the growing interest as more parents choose to educate their children.

“Across the territory, more and more families are choosing to home-school their children,” he said. “Home-schooling itself is becoming more mainstream as parents work to create the best learning environment for their children. This legislation recognizes the right of the parent to choose what is best for their child, whether it is public, private, parochial or home school and creates a regulatory structure for home instruction.”

Presently, the Board of Education requires parents to file a notice of intent to home-school with the Virgin Islands Department of Education, and to also provide D.O.E. with portfolios as proof of annual learning progress. Bill 31-0391 essentially codifies many of the Board of Education’s developed requirements that have been followed by Virgin Islands home-schoolers for many years, while clarifying recently enacted policies that were believed to be unnecessarily restrictive for purposes of home instruction, according to the release.

The bill does not address learning centers, but instead focuses on individual home schools.

Mr. Francis believes the proposed legislation finds a good balance between parent choice and educational instruction. He’s inviting the community to participate in the discussion by attending the hearing or viewing it live on LEGIT TV.

The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the Frits E. Lawaetz conference room on St. Croix.