NW Illinois News

State Sen. Li Arellano Jr. (R-Dixon) is voicing strong opposition to the proposed Illinois Homeschool Act – HB 2827. 

Arellano expressed concerns that the bill represents unnecessary government overreach and urged lawmakers to focus on more pressing issues, such as the state’s financial troubles, rather than targeting homeschoolers.

"Government overreach is rampant in HB2827," Arellano began. "Why are we considering a bill that targets homeschoolers when this group of students consistently scores higher in college admissions tests and carries higher first-year college GPA averages than their public school peers?"

Arellano pointed out that homeschooled students often outperform their public school counterparts on critical academic measures. 

Instead of imposing more bureaucratic regulations on homeschool families, he believes the legislature should focus on improving Illinois' fiscal situation.

"Instead of more government control, our legislature should be focused on getting Illinois out of debt so that our public schools no longer need to hammer onto property taxes," Arellano said. "Adding new bureaucratic costs and logistical hoops, especially ones targeting higher-performing students, is not the answer."

The proposed Illinois Homeschool Act aims to increase oversight on homeschooling families by imposing new regulations.

These include requirements for homeschooled students to submit a "Homeschool Declaration Form" to avoid truancy penalties and providing health documentation if they wish to engage with public schools. 

Critics of the bill, such as Kirk Smith of Illinois Christian Home Educators, argue that it infringes on parental rights and introduces bureaucratic barriers, requiring state permission to homeschool.

Over 41,000 Illinois residents have filed witness slips opposing the bill, which is currently under consideration by the Illinois House of Representatives Education Policy Committee. 

Arellano represents the 37th District in North and Central Illinois, which includes all or parts of Lee, Bureau, Henry, DeKalb, Ogle, Rock Island, Whiteside, Stark, Peoria, Woodford and Marshall counties.