Delaware Seeks to Ban Homeschoolers from Free Drivers Education
2008-11-05

By D. E. Herrod, B.Ed.E, M.Div

Currently Delaware offers free drivers education to all students age 15 and 10th grade or above.(1) The Valerie Woodruff, Delaware Secretary of Education has proposed an amendment that would require students enrolled in non-public schools to pay for drivers education.(2) According to the states education code residence in an eligible district is required not enrollment in public schools.

HSDLA believes this amendment is a violation of homeschoolers civil rights. According to HSDL it violates the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment.(3) Although I’m not sure that is the proper use of the Equal protection clause. I found a good discussion of this at Principled Discovery.

In today’s economic climate, many states have to tighten budgets. That raises the question if this amendment is in part motivated by finical concerns. In know that some in public schools do not believe that the public schools should have to provide any services to students who are not enrolled in their district. By providing speech or similar services somehow, the school is incurring an added expense. To me that is not a valid argument. Public schools are funded by taxing all residents of the district not just those whose children attend the schools. Families who choose non-public school options are funding public schools just the same as those who children attend public schools. Allowing homeschoolers access to programs like Delaware’s Free Drivers education actually costs the school no more than educating other students. Since the program is offered during summer school homeschoolers attending this program should not interfere with school size or require extra teachers.

Sources:

(1) Delaware Education Code [Available on-line: http://delcode.delaware.gov/title14/c001/sc02/index.shtml#TopOfPage last accessed on 5 November 2008].

(2) Proposed Education Impact Education Impact Analysis Pursuant to 14 Del.C. Section 122(d) 540 Driver Education [Available on-line: http://regulations.delaware.gov/register/september2008/proposed/12%20DE%20Reg%20281%2009-01-08.htm last accessed on 5 November 2008].

(3) Free Drivers Education Threatened [Available on-line: last accessed on 5 November 2008].