Call to Action-February 19, 2025
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27: 13-14
*Members of the Missouri Homeschool Alliance Board of Directors are not lawyers. This update is for information purposes only.
Missouri Homeschool Alliance is asking for your help.
In the early hours of February 18, the Senate Education Committee met in the Senate Lounge to hear the following bills of interest to Missouri homeschoolers:
SB53, sponsored by Senator Nick Schroer. This bill has some serious issues that cause us to be concerned, and as a result, MHA is OPPOSED to this bill. Firstly, SB53 defines FPE School as homeschool and lumps us together with state-funded FPE students. SB53 gives a refundable tax credit for homeschoolers, FPE, and private schoolers for the following expenses: Tuition and fees, textbooks. Educational therapies, Tutoring, Curriculum, Fees for standardized tests, individual classes and extracurriculars at public school, computers, summer education programs and after school programs, transportation costs. This credit is “refundable”, meaning that it will give parents a tax credit for more than the amount that they have paid in State taxes. Parents who choose to take this tax credit would be required to submit a certification from the public school district where they reside that they did not enroll their student in public school. This is backdoor registration. As you know, Missouri does not require any registration or reporting related to homeschool students, but by taking this tax credit, parents would be de-facto placing their child on a list of homeschoolers. Requiring families to submit receipts for “approved” curriculum and textbooks encroaches on our freedom to choose our own curriculum and course of study for our families. Furthermore, this bill leaves the Department of Revenue in charge of setting the rules for how this is all implemented. MHA is OPPOSED to tax credits for homeschoolers.
SB195, sponsored by Senator Rick Brattin was also heard on Tuesday. This bill is also problematic and MHA stands OPPOSED to this bill. SB195 is substatially similar to SB53 in that it proposes a refundable tax credit for educational expenses as listed above. The main difference between SB195 and SB53 is that SB195 does not specify that a parent must submit a certification from the school district. Even so, the dept of revenue will write the rules for implementation. This bill is also significantly similar to a bill we are watching in the House, HB77. MHA is OPPOSED to tax credits for homeschooling.
In 2024, a new designation was created for a separate type of educational option in Missouri. This designation is called Family Paced Education, and was created for the very purpose of differentiating these funded FPE schools from traditional homeschools, providing a wall of separation between the two separate and distinct educational options. The bills in question seek to conflate these two options, in violation of the law created last year.
At this time, MHA is asking our members to take action related to SB53 and SB195.
If you agree with MHA’s stance against tax credits and funding for homeschooling, please consider taking the following actions immediately:
1. Contact the members of the Senate Education Committee. You may contact via email or telephone. Please be concise , kind, and firm in expressing your opposition for any sort of government funding for homeschooling. Ask that homeschool under the designation of RSMo 167.012 be removed from this legislation. Request that families who wish to participate in this tax credit be designated instead as FPE schools, under RSMo 167.013. The FPE designation was created last year for just this purpose; to provide statutory separation between traditional homeschoolers and those who seek to obtain government funding for their home-based or private school education choices.
2. Share this information within your own circle of influence. These two bills are potentially quite dangerous as they would infringe upon the privacy and autonomy of homeschool families in the state. Time is of the essence, as we expect the Education Committee to vote on these two bills within the next week.
3. Pray. While yesterday’s hearing was discouraging, we at Missouri Homeschool Alliance believe that it is God’s heart for families to be engaged in actively teaching, discipling, and nurturing their children, free from government interference. Pray that our message will find favor with legislators, and they will turn from their intentions as they gain understanding of the desire of homeschoolers in this state to protect the privacy and autonomy of the individual family.
4. Use the link at the bottom of this page to sign up for our weekly email legislative updates, so you will be kept informed about what is happening in Jefferson City, and how you might be able to get involved.
If you believe in the mission of Missouri Homeschool Alliance and wish to support our work in the State Capitol, please consider joining us as a paid member. Your dues of just $5/month help to ensure that we are able to continue our fight to secure parent-led, privately funded homeschooling remains strong in Missouri.
