Illinois Law in Simple Language

The law was last amended in 2004.  Since then, all children between the ages of 7 and 17 in the State of Illinois are required by law to attend a public school.  They are also free to attend a private or parochial school provided that the branches of education are taught in the English language to children of the same age and grade as in the public institutions.

The Court Decisions

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled in the 1950 decision “People vs. Levinson” that a school is “a place where instruction is imparted to the young” and that the number of persons receiving the instruction “does not determine whether or not that place is a school.”

In 1974, regarding “Scoma vs. Board of Education”, the United States District Court upheld the “Levinson” decision as ‘reasonable and constitutional”.

What does this mean to Catholic Home Educators?

Catholic homeschoolers in Illinois have the freedom to choose a curriculum that best meets the needs of their children provided that it is presented in the English language and at a level proper to the child’s age.  Illinois law does not require parents to notify their local school districts, nor mandate any special oversight, evaluations or testing

For more information,visit the website of the Home School Legal Defense Association at www.hslda.org.