State Rep. John Reilly (R-Oakland Twp.) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives June 21 that would permanently exempt homeschooling families from being required to submit Educational Development Plans (EDP).

Educational Development Plans are annual academic and career evaluations, which are mandated by the state’s Department of Education for all public school students starting in the seventh grade.

House Bill 4805’s introduction came after Reilly was informed by “credible sources” that all homeschool students taking more than two courses at a virtual academy could soon be required to submit an Educational Development Plan, according to a recent news release.

“We have thousands of homeschoolers across the state of Michigan that are thriving in virtual academies thanks to growing cooperation between homeschooling parents and local school districts. Maintaining student privacy has been integral in forging these new great relationships,” Reilly stated in the release.

A total of 1,017 students were enrolled in Oxford Virtual Academy in the spring of 2017.

According to Oxford Virtual Academy Principal Janet Schell, nearly every student who attends OVA takes more than two classes.

OVA Homeschool Coordinator Lisa Sullivan described a requirement for EDP submittance to be an “extreme invasion of privacy” for homeschooling families, and that the requirement would be contrary to current state law.

If an EDP were to be required for homeschooled students, according to Sullivan, homeschooled families would have to report their current curriculum, their future curriculum, their plans for the students education and all manner of educational goals. They would also be required to report to the public school counselor.

Sullivan also noted there is no reason for collection of this data, as the public school will not be issuing any kind of diploma nor is it allowed by law to monitor the educational practices of the students.

According to the bill’s language, “a child who is educated at the child’s home by his or her parent or legal guardian and is exempt from the requirement to attend public school under section 1561 is not required to develop, review, or revise an educational development plan described in section 1278B.”

While homeschooled students and students who attend virtual academies are not currently required to submit annual Educational Development Plans under Michigan law, the bill introduced by Reilly would prevent that from becoming a requirement in the future, if passed.

“We cannot jeopardize the educational progress and freedom for approximately 50,000 homeschool students in Michigan,” Reilly said. “They are doing well, so we have to make sure this co-operative relationship can continue without any limitations or invasions of privacy.”

The bill has been assigned to the Education Reform Committee.