Vermont home‑study advocates outline recordkeeping changes, early‑college access and driver‑education bills

Retta, founder of the Vermont Home Education Network, told the Vermont House Education Committee on Tuesday, May 13, that families who educate children through the state’s home‑study program must still keep records at home and meet a required minimum of 175 days of instruction even after a 2022/2023 law change that altered how families submit paperwork to the Agency of Education.

The discussion matters to roughly 3,500 students currently enrolled in home‑study programs in Vermont, Retta said, up from about 2,500 before the COVID‑19 pandemic. The committee heard questions about how the state’s early college program and a statutory personal learning plan — called a PLP in the statute — interact with home‑study enrollments.

Retta said the Agency of Education drafted the paperwork‑reduction bill that was introduced in 2023 and that the law moved some recordkeeping responsibility back to families. "They ultimately decided it would be better to just have the home study families maintain all the records themselves," she said. She added families still must sign an affidavit promising to provide the 175 days and to keep an annual assessment on file at home.

Committee members pressed for clarification about enrollment numbers and how early college enrollment works for home‑study students. Retta described the PLP as "a uniquely designed document per each child" that was intended to include college aspirations and other individualized planning. She said the Agency has at times treated the PLP like a minimum course of study, which she argued "defeats the purpose of what a PLP is." Retta said families seeking early college typically must submit a PLP online or follow the agency’s process to access the program.

Retta also noted that the statute provides for hearings after enrollment — a process she said has existed in some form since the 1985‑86 legislative session — and that the hearing process can lead to unenrollment and a subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court. She described the 2022/2023 change as aimed at reducing the Agency’s paperwork burden, not eliminating families’ responsibilities to keep records at home.

She told the committee there are two bills pending: one in Ways and Means that would create a tax deduction related to home education, and another that would allow parent‑taught driver education for home‑study students. "I'm really hoping in January, we can move something at least on the parent driver education," she said, noting that many states already permit parent‑taught driver education and that the change would not necessarily cost the state a large amount.

Retta said the Vermont Home Education Network is shifting toward providing more resources to families and looking to hold a statewide conference; she also requested a legislative sponsor to allow a group of about 300 homeschoolers to use the House Chambers for a June 16 visit and mock session. Committee members noted June 16–17 are VITO (Vermont Independent Town Organization) days and said they would check scheduling.

No formal committee action, motion, or vote took place during the discussion. The committee’s questions centered on enrollment counts, how early college and PLP requirements are implemented, and where responsibilities lie between the Agency of Education and families.

Retta closed by reiterating that families must keep annual assessments and related adaptations on file at home and that parents of children with diagnosed disabilities must identify those needs at enrollment. "Whenever you hand out money, it comes with strings," she said in describing early college requirements; she added that families who choose early college should be prepared to meet the PLP requirement.

Committee members signaled interest in asking the Agency of Education for more detail on how early college applications are processed for home‑study students and whether additional guidance or outreach is needed for families using both home study and early college programs.

A planned statewide conference and the House Chambers visit remain contingent on legislative scheduling and the committee’s ability to identify a sponsor for the June date.