(Radio Iowa) – A bill eligible for debate in the House Education Committee would loosen restrictions on homeschooling and raises the state tuition and textbook tax credit. Jeremy Voss is a lobbyist for Homeschool Iowa. “House File 88 has been crafted to affirm and strengthen the vital role of parents in fulfilling their Biblical mandate to go and make disciples,” Voss said. “This calling begins in the home with home education as its cornerstone.”

Under current law, children in a homeschool setting may be taught by someone who is not a relative, but that person must be a licensed teacher. The bill repeals that requirement and gets rid of the current limit that no more than four children may be homeschooled by a non-relative. Margaret Buckton is a lobbyist for the Urban Education Network and the Rural School Advocates of Iowa.

“Our primary concerns about allowing an unlimited number of unrelated children in a homeschool environment and being able to charge tuition, I think there’s a point where it’s no longer a homeschool,” Buckton said, “and it becomes a third category of unregulated or less regulated private school.” The bill also repeals requirements that parents provide records showing that children being taught at home or in a charter school have certain vaccinations and have had their blood tested for unsafe lead levels. Chaney Yeast, a lobbyist from Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, says that’s worrisome.

“We know that there’s lead in our homes in rural Iowa and urban areas of Iowa, we know young children who are putting things in their mouth are often exposed to high levels of lead that can impact their long term ability to learn and be healthy,” Yeast said. Lauren Gideon of Indianola is a homeschool mom of seven who represents Classical Conversations, a company that sells homeschooling materials. She says the bill opens up a conversation about parental rights.

“Who do children belong to and who has their best interest in mind?” she said. “…Who is the primary responsibility/caregiver for children? Who owns the direction and the upbringing of children?” The bill also says Iowa colleges and universities must treat the diploma or certificate a homeschooling parent issues for their child the same as a high school diploma when making enrollment decisions.