Chapter 31 Rules
Update Available Below
Welcome, Homeschooling Friends!
The Chapter 31 rules in the Iowa Administrative Code are being revised by the Iowa Department of Education. These rules implement and interpret the Iowa Code sections governing private instruction, including homeschooling.
The text of the newly proposed rules can be found on the State of Iowa's Administrative Rules published announcement of the Chapter 31 rules proposal. You can find that document by clicking the blue button link below.
Thank you for your action!
Homeschool Iowa Advocacy Update
What a couple of crazy weeks it has been!
The Department of Education published the proposed Chapter 31 rules at the beginning of February, and we all feel like it’s been a bit of a mad scramble to get comments in and organize our thoughts!
First off, thank you for your comments on the proposed rules!
We learned in the 3:30 hearing on Tuesday, February 27, that more than 750 comments had been logged by the Department, and more than half of those comments referenced the Homeschool Iowa requested changes. This is a huge benefit for us homeschooling families and the Department.
When you reference the recommendations from Homeschool Iowa, it makes those recommendations far more impactful and makes the Department’s job easier.
So what’s next?
Now that the comment period has ended for the proposed rules, the Department of Education will log and categorize all the public comments. We have been assured by the Department and by the Governor’s office that the Department will take into consideration every public comment that was made.
Your comments made a difference!
We assume that some level of rewrite will take place before the Department publishes the proposed rules again. This part is not required to be public, so we are trusting the intent of the Department of Education and the Governor’s office. This next publishing date will be 7 days before the next Board of Education meeting that includes the Chapter 31 rule proposal on the agenda. This meeting will likely be the May 9 meeting.
As soon as the new proposed rules are published, Homeschool Iowa will review the rules and advise our members about the next steps to take, if any, regarding the proposed Chapter 31 rules. Sign up for VoterVoice to get alerts and updates.
The Administrative Rules Review Committee (the ARRC) also has input on the outcome of the rules process. This committee is a bipartisan, bicameral committee that meets regularly to review and potentially pause or change administrative rules.
Many of the hundreds of attendees at our Homeschool Iowa Capitol Day on Monday, March 4 submitted messages to the members of this important committee, alerting them to our concerns about the Chapter 31 rules revisions.
The ARRC's meeting agenda on Monday, March 11 included the Chapter 31 rules. The committee did not take any actions at this meeting, but they did receive public testimony, including that of our Homeschool Iowa president and executive director.
Homeschool Iowa is dedicated
to protecting homeschooling freedom in Iowa,
and your partnership with us
is essential!
is dedicated to
monitoring threats to our homeschool freedoms
and to inform and equip you to engage as a citizen.
Partner with us to assure that these efforts continue!
Homeschool Iowa
Analysis & Guidance
Click on the the button below for the complete Chapter 31 Rules proposal.
Please note that this document contains lots of detailed legal language.
For a simplified presentation of the key concerns,
click on the Homeschool Iowa and HSLDA analysis below.
CHAPTER 31 RULES
Click on the graphic below to view the analysis and recommendations
from Homeschool Iowa and HSLDA.
Note, of course, that the deadline has passed for the submission of public comment.
