UPDATE 4/10/25:
The Catholic Conference of Illinois testified in opposition to HB 2827 on March 19th because of the reporting requirements for the nonpublic schools. We did not negotiate the language that was adopted by the committee on April 9th. However, the amendment we received the night before the hearing satisfied our concern. Our opposition was addressed.
In the last 20 years, there have been three attempts to register home schools in Illinois. The Catholic Conference of Illinois did not take a position on those bills, nor was asked to.
There is nothing in this bill nor in the amendments that interferes with our right to teach children according to the tenets of our faith.
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3/3/25:
House Bill 2827 would require every non-public school in Illinois to provide the name, date of birth and address of each child attending its school along with name and address of at least one parent to both the State and regional offices of education and/or Chicago Public Schools. Forcing our Catholic schools to provide personally identifiable data of our students and families not only violates a basic trust between the school and the family, but also codifies an overreaching State policy that creates an intrusive relationship between the State and private institutions.
HB 2827 also seeks to regulate Homeschooling in Illinois. All homeschool parents will be required to annually register with the State and submit the same aforementioned information to the State and local educational organizations. In addition, beginning August 1, 2026, the bill would require every non-public school to register with the state annually. Currently, nonpublic school registration and recognition are voluntary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. This legislation runs counter to this time-tested principle.
This legislation is an unfunded mandate on our schools as well as an example of government overreach. Please contact your state representative to express opposition to HB 2827 by clicking HERE.