Sisney H.O.U.S.E. Handbook

Finally! 16 pages of 10-point font, but it is finished. The 2012 Sisney H.O.U.S.E. Handbook is done. No, not required, but we did one when we homeschooled the older girls so that, to help them learn accountability (they were starting 5th 7th grades when we began our homeschool journey), they had to read it and sign a form saying they had indeed read the Handbook entirely and understood its content. If there was a question of conflict about a rule, all I had to do was remind them "it's in the Handbook" and make them look it up and reread it. Homeschool handbooks are also handy, should the occasion arise, in dealing with state officials with questions concerning our homeschool practices. We figured we could just hand them a copy of our Handbook rather than spend hours answering questions. I had the old Handbook saved but have spent a few days updating and revising it.

By the way, and I have to find my old notes on this subject, but if you are new to homeschooling in Illinois, and the school does send a truant officer to your do, you do not have to allow them access to your home without a search warrant. However, if you are thinking you'll "be nice about it" and allow them in, know this:  once you allow them in without a search warrant, the officer has the right to search anything that is not locked up, whether it pertains to homeschool or your personal life. I'll blog more on that subject later, after referring back to my notes (I'm a little out of practice). I do recommend that you keep all your homeschool records in a locked filing cabinet, in a room that has a lock on the door, and never let any public official in your home in regards to your homeschool without a search warrant. I'm thinking (again, have to look that up), that you don't have to turn anything over to the school officials in Illinois, that the only person you have to turn records over to is a judge should the local public school press the issue.

Home-schooling in Illinois is considered to be a form of private education. While there are not as many restrictions and laws as other states, in Illinois parents who choose to educate their children at home are under a legal obligation to meet the minimum requirements stated in Illinois’ Compulsory Attendance Law (Section 26-1 of the Illinois School Code). Go to HSLDA's summary of the Illinois laws on homeschooling for more information.