School districts are obligated under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide equitable services and Child Find activities. Although HB0046 removes the requirement for homeschool families to submit a curriculum to the home school district for review, districts must fulfill federal requirements after the law goes into effect on July 1.
To support these efforts, we recommend the following:
- Promote awareness of available services for homeschools, how to access them, and provide a designated point of contact within the district on the school district website and social media platforms.
- Establish community partnerships with agencies or entities such as public libraries, healthcare providers, community centers, and homeschool support groups to help effectively distribute information.
- Public service announcements in the media to raise awareness for equitable services and Child Find are allowable uses of federal funds, as long as the costs are reasonable and necessary to meet the requirements of the federal award per 2 CFR §200.421(b)(4).
For further information, contact Mark Bowers, Supervisor – ESSA Grants Team, at mark.bowers@wyo.gov or 307-777-6208, or Kim Sanford, Fiscal Supervisor – Special Education Programs, at kimberly.sanford@wyo.gov or 307-274-1391.
