major HomeSchool problem! (Curfew)

[supersunshine]

Well it all started this morning when i decided to start a science project for myself, a project on can sublimial messages affect a persons choice in choosing a product? so there is a little store abouta mile away that i sometimes go to, and there it has some crucial items for my project. so i asked if i could go down there and pick up the items, and my mother said no because i don't have a parent with me and kids aren't allowed to be out without a parent from the hours of 9-3. this isn't fair! for being a homeschooled child i get the same treatment as i would be in school?? well i'm not in school so no -one should act like it! i should be free to do what i need to do as long as it is for my education, which this clearly was! and i know that she probably made up that stupid "law". i don't like being barricaded in the house all day with my insane 5 other brothers and sisters! i want to experience life instead of doing typical desk ridden schoolwork! it's not fair!

[Theodore]

There's an official curfew during school hours? What state are you in?

[WAHMBrenda]

I've never heard of that either. I always thought that if you were stopped by a truancy officer you had time to prove that you're a homeschool student. I let my dd out all the time (granted she's with me) during school hours and have been questioned a few times but have always had the opportunity to prove that we homeschool and that was all there was to it. Now that we've lived in this neighborhood for a while there's been no more hastle. I'm curious what state you're in and if there really is such a law.

[Dolly-VA]

Sorry this is a couple days late, but I thought I'd let you know what it is (was) like here in VA. This is from www.vahomeschoolers.org website.

Can local jurisdictions institute a daytime curfew? Do we have to be careful about letting our children out and about in the community during school hours?

Due to increased awareness of homeschooling, most families only receive the occasional "no school today?" question from chatty store clerks. It seems most people understand that hsers are out and about during the day, and they don't think it odd to see our kids during school hours anymore. Most don't wouldn't worry at all about being stopped or interrogated about being in public during school hours. There was a time when some districts did have daytime curfews. For instance, Front Royal had a daytime curfew, which made it illegal for the children of one family to walk to mass during school hours. Virginia Home Education Association (now The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers) fought hard to eliminate daytime curfews, which was finally accomplished during the 1998 session of the General Assembly, when "HB1064 carried an amendment that limits the curfew making power of local governments to the hours of 10 pm to 6 am. Daytime curfews have the effect of criminalizing the wholesome and legitimate activities of homeschooled minors not in the company of their parents during daytime hours. VHEA worked tirelessly toward this goal in both 1997 and 1998, causing introduction of anti-daytime curfew legislation in both sessions." [VHEA Newsletter] Read Eliminating Daytime Curfews: The unusual story behind the Headlines by Ellen Neal for full information.

You'll notice that it's not been that long since VA removed this from their laws. I don't know about any other states, but I would assume that there are states that still have this kind of thing alive on their books.

[Theodore]

I heard of a city just recently that was instituting a daytime curfew in the hopes of cutting down on gangs and getting more kids in school. The problem is that kids who cut school aren't going to be deterred much by a curfew, and curfews discriminate against legit homeschoolers who get their homework done in 2-3 hours and then want to go play or work outside :\

[arewethereyet]

Lake Charles, Louisiana still has a city ordinance in place. It does allow students to be out, but only with proof of homeschooling. You can read the details at www.swlachefinc.org , click on city ordinance.