Report Requirement for Homeschool Students Constitutional

• Key point: Parents who choose to educate their children at home on the basis of their religious beliefs may be required to comply with reporting requirements under state law.

• The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that a state law requiring parents who "homeschool" their children to submit annual reports to the state did not violate the constitutional guaranty of religious freedom. A couple educated their children (ages 8 and 10) at home on the basis of their religious beliefs. They failed to file an annual report required by Iowa law for all parents who educate their children at home. The required report asks parents to provide several items of information including an outline of the course of study to be pursued, the texts to be used, and the name and address of the instructor. The parents refused to submit this report, and they were prosecuted and convicted for failing to do so. They ...