Ever since attendance in school became required, homeschooling has been challenged. Here in Illinois we had an exceptional challenge in 2025 and the lawmakers who tried to push HB2827 through have vowed to try again in 2026.
What can we do?
1) Learn how a bill becomes a law in IL.
2) Meet with your lawmakers!
Have them get to know you and as many other local homeschoolers as possible. Bring them cookies or balloons when they are in their local office. Send them a picture of your group on a fun field trip. Ask them to come and teach a lesson on Illinois government to your coop.
They need to understand we aren’t just numbers on a page, but real voters in their district who are engaged, knowledgeable, and watching.
3) Decide now whom you will listen to when there is trouble. Follow them or their representatives.
There are a lot of groups out there. Some will tell you to do A. Some will tell you to do B. Some people simply incite panic where none is needed. Whom do you trust to give you accurate, current, well researched information?
When and if there is real news to share about a revised version of the homeschool bill the Ad Hoc Committee for Illinois Home Education Legal and Legislative Matters will share it with you and will tell you what all three statewide homeschool support groups have agreed Illinois homeschoolers should do next.
We might ask for phone calls to your representative in the IL House of Representatives or Senate, to fill out a witness slip, or attend a rally. The hardest thing, always, is to wait.
In these quiet weeks, learn what you can and network with your community. We hope 2026 does not see a revival of the bill, but if it does - we will be ready to stand by your side and fight!
January 2026
Ad Hoc Committee for Illinois Home Education Legal and Legislative Matters is a consensus driven group comprising three different homeschool organizations who advocate for homeschools throughout Illinois regardless of religion, ethnicity or homeschool philosophy. Established in 1984, we are dedicated to protecting private home schools from state regulations that infringe upon the liberty of parents in the education of their children. Working by consensus, we present unified positions to state school officials and legislators on important legislative and legal issues impacting home education in Illinois. We are committed to advancing the principle of academic freedom for the good of all citizens in Illinois.
In Illinois, home schools are one kind of non-public, private school (in 1950 the Illinois State Supreme Court in People vs Levisen 90 N.E.2nd 213 no.31133 determined that home schools were private schools). There is no law requiring non-public schools to register with any public school official, nor are they required to seek state recognition, approval or accreditation.Under Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/26.1 (known as the Compulsory Attendance Law) parents of children ages 6 through 17, beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, must make sure the education their children receive includes the branches of education taught to their age group in the local public school (language arts, mathematics, biological ...
Withdrawing from Public School: Before withdrawing your child from public school there are four important steps to follow. If the appropriate steps are not followed, the school will most likely assume that your child is truant. First, familiarize yourself with Illinois laws that apply to homeschools: Illinois Homeschool Laws Second, write a letter to withdraw your child from the public school. See sample withdrawal letters: Letter Sample #1 Letter Sample #2 Print at least two copies of your letter, one for the school’s permanent records and one for your own permanent records. Third, deliver the letter to your child’s school in one of these three ways: Go to the post office and mail the letter “return receipt requested ...