Please share this information with your support group and other homeschoolers you know.

Key Points

• The Wisconsin school census statute requires local public school districts to report each year to the DPI the number of public and private school students, including homeschoolers, in their district. (See Wisconsin statute 120.18 Annual School District Report at http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/nxt/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&d=stats&jd=120.18)

• Homeschoolers refusing to provide information for the report could trigger legislation that would require more information from homeschoolers. Also, responding in the way WPA suggests below is easy and does not give the state any more information than it already has.

• We are writing this now because a national homeschool organization has misinformed homeschoolers about the school census law and advised Wisconsin homeschoolers that they can refuse to provide information for the census.

 Note: Please read the following information. Specific steps for filing the form are at the end of this section. [This article was posted originally August 20, 2010.]

Key Points to Keep In Mind

Beginning in September, 2010, to save money, the DPI is switching from paper PI-1206 forms to an electronic version that homeschoolers file online for the 2010-2011 school year. Before filing your form, please consider the following.

WPA has been informed by the DPI that in order to save money, the DPI will be switching from paper PI-1206 forms to an electronic version that homeschoolers file online beginning this August with forms for the 2010-2011 school year. This change requires new procedures and raises concerns about protecting homeschoolers’ privacy. The WPA Board has discussed the issues involved, and a WPA representative has gathered the following information from the DPI.

The law is poorly written. It does not state when provisions for charging children enrolled in kindergarten with truancy go into effect. The provisions are being applied arbitrarily by districts.