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Minutes for SB338 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Including a home school within the definition of private elementary and secondary school and defining home school.
Minutes Content for Wed, Jan 21, 2026
Chairman Erickson opened the hearing on SB338. Tamera Lawrence, Assistant Revisor, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, gave a brief overview of the bill and stood for questions. (Attachment 2)
Proponent:
Jennifer Laporte, President, Christian Home Education Coalition of Kansas, said the intent of this bill is to place the informal common usage word "homeschool" in the more formal legislative context of statutory language - included in the classification of non-accredited private school or non-accredited nonpublic school. Homeschool laws in other states use similar language of parents directing the private education of their children. No legislative changes to the process or treatment of homeschooling are included in the bill. This bill provides clarity to the term homeschool in current statutes and avoids any unnecessary confusion in future legislation. (Attachment 3)
Robert Simmons, President, Midwest Parent Educators, appreciates the committee's consideration to provide greater clarity to the term "home school" within K.S.A. 73-4345 accordingly.(Attachment 4)
Jennifer Woodward, The Homeschool Community, spoke of her decade long experience of homeschooling her children and said Kansas has a fabulous reputation for homeschool freedoms. Kansas has the ability to continue that reputation by clearly defining home school in a way that reflects the reality of our community. (Attachment 5)
Proponent Written Only:
Amy Buchmeyer, Staff Attorney, Home School Legal Defense Association (Attachment 6)
Jeff Gorman, President, Kansas Home Educators (Attachment 7)
Neural:
Frank Harwood, Deputy Commissioner Fiscal and Administrative Services, Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), said although KSDE does not take a position with the intent of this bill, it does see the merits of clarifying the terminology used to label different types of schools. The purpose of KSDE's neutral testimony is to point out current inconsistencies with terminology, suggest possible solutions, and note some possible unintended consequences. He encourages the use of "nonaccredited private school" rather than "nonaccredited nonpublic school". He also pointed out the possible unintended consequence of the proposed phrase "directs the private instruction of the parent's or person's child". This could limit some options that are being used.(Attachment 8)
Opponent:
John Axtell, Coordinator, Kansas Campaign for Liberty, said currently homeschooling is not mentioned in Kansas statutes and that is exactly how it should be. This bill would amend Kansas education statutes to define homeschooling in the same class of institutions with non-accredited private schools, subjecting them to the same regulations, oversight, and data reporting requirements. This would destroy the autonomy that homeschooling parents now enjoy. (Attachment 9)
Leah Fliter, Assistant Executive Director of Advocacy, Kansas Association of School Boards, said it is difficult to discern the legislative intent from the text, but she assumes the intent of this bill is to make home schools eligible for public funding. Her position is based on the member-approved legislative platform. (Attachment 10)
Jerry Henn spoke for Jim Karleskint, United School Administrators, saying Kansas has long recognized homeschooling through existing statutory and regulatory frameworks without classifying home schools as private schools. This bill does not address accountability or student safeguards. (Attachment 11)
Opponent Written Only:
Judith Deedy on behalf of Game On for Kansas Schools (Attachment 12)
Vikki Mullins, Kansas PTA President (Attachment 13)
Discussion followed.
Chairman Erickson closed the hearing on SB338.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:25 pm.
The next Senate Education Committee meeting will be held January 22, 2026, 1:30 pm in Room 144-S.
