As you may have guessed by my post yesterday, that wasn’t the last time that you will be hearing about our adventures in moving to a different state! I mentioned yesterday that we will be moving from a state that is highly regulated, to one that is not regulated at all. While following the law is a little easier for us because we are moving in the summer, what should you do if you’re moving mid-year?
Legally Speaking. . .
Legally speaking (with regards to education that is) you are always bound by the law of the state in which you live. Some states have residency laws but with regards to homeschooling and the paperwork you need to file, you are bound under your state laws in which you lay your head down at night.
I have heard some mothers, in the midst of a move talk about fulfilling requirements of both states, but the truth is, this just isn’t necessary. Think about it like this: if your children were in traditional school and you were moving mid-year, you’d pull them out of their current school and once you moved, one of the first things that you would probably do is trek down to your local school and register them. Even if the state to which you’re moving has residency laws (like having to live in state for at least 6 months), you are still obligated educationally speaking, to follow the state’s laws.
How Does Moving Affect Your Current Regulations?
Someone asked me this yesterday since I still have a few more quarterly reports to go as well as an annual assessment. The answer is that it depends on when you’re moving and the dates for which things are do. For us, since we’ll be here for the rest of the year, we’ll submit paperwork for the rest of the year. We will not however, submit the required letter of intent which is due July 1st since we’ll be moving later in the summer and will not actually start the 08-09 school year until September.
What If You Move Right Before Your School Year Ends?
Another question that I’ve been asked is how to handle a situation where let’s say one state requires end of the year testing and you move right before the end of the year to another state that requires a portfolio assessment. In this case, I would suggest finishing your year “early”, by completing the testing, or skipping the testing and starting anew with the regulations of your new state in the fall (or whenever it is that you start homeschooling). Your new state does not expect you to legally fulfill their requirements before you actually live there. However, if you move closer to the middle of the year, then you’d fulfill the requirements of your new state for just the remaining part of the year only.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.