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Committee approves SB63FA to require local schools to accommodate homeschoolers for college‑prep and military tests; ASVAB added
Summary
SB63FA was advanced after the committee accepted amendments clarifying who pays and adding the ASVAB to the list of tests local residency schools must make available to registered homeschool students; the bill passed on a voice vote.
Sen. Dixon presented SB 63 (as amended), saying the bill would require a student’s residency school — the public school in whose attendance zone a homeschool family resides — to provide access to college‑entry and career‑testing services, including AP, PSAT, ACT, SAT and, by amendment, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). He said families often travel long distances to take required exams and that accommodating homeschool students locally would reduce that burden.
Committee members focused on cost and logistics. Sen. Dixon and other sponsors said the expected fiscal impact is small: the sponsor’s estimate for all affected exams was about $10,962 annually for homeschool high‑school students statewide. Department of Education staff (Matt Cardoza) told the committee they would review budget language and invoices to confirm whether existing state payments have historically applied only to enrolled public‑school students and would report back.
Members discussed whether districts would be required to cover fees that enrolled students do not pay; sponsors said homeschool students should generally be treated the same as enrolled students — if a school pays or reimburses enrolled students the same should apply to homeschoolers. Questions about accommodations (extended time, alternate formats) were raised; speakers said schools would know about accommodations when students register and could prepare testing locations and proctors accordingly.
Representative Ballard encouraged adding the ASVAB so homeschooled students can access the military entrance‑related assessment; the committee adopted legislative‑council language inserting “armed services vocational aptitude battery” between ACT and AP on the list of covered exams. The amendment carried by voice vote.
After discussion the committee voted by voice to pass SB63FA as amended. Sponsors identified a House carrier to move the bill forward.
