"I have spoken to Rep. Maddox about his bill, his district's trouble and his solution of requiring homeschoolers who leave a church related school to notify the local education agency. This bill will not solve the problems being encountered in his district. He tells me that officials in his district are encountering children who are "running loose" and that when questioned they declare they are registered with a particular church related school and thus truancy personnel cannot touch them because their parents are legally complying with the compulsory attendance laws. As frustrating as that may be for truancy officers their only legal recourses are to speak to the parents about their child's, presumably, inappropriate behavior or file neglect charges.

Additionally, Rep. Maddox asserts that these children are "known" by the community to not be receiving an education. If truancy officials can prove these children are not being educated, again, why are neglect charges not being brought? Rep. Maddox tells me he doesn't want to go that far. But, he would unfairly and unnecessarily burden thousands of homeschoolers across the state in a poorly aimed, desperate, shotgun attempt to control homeschoolers in his district. I do not understand how having parents register their child's withdrawal from a church related school will ensure any child is properly educated. It only ensures the state knows where the child's parents have registered him/her--information easily obtained in a conversation with parents on a need to know basis. It's my opinion that this is a local problem with a few families that can and should be handled in Rep. Maddox's district."