Following the death of 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller, the state’s governor and lawmakers are pushing for tightening home-schooling requirements to prevent future child deaths.
Kyneddi, who was found in a “skeletal state” in April, was taught at home as of 2021. Her family lived in Boone County.
On Friday, Governor Jim Justice said he may call a special session to address the issue.
“We are in talks with the legislator,” he said during a press conference“The issue of homeschooling – we probably need to find a way to tighten it up. That is an area where we [for] will certainly make things a little better.”
Senate President Craig Blair has already called on the state parliament to look into home schooling regulations.”We must act quickly to ensure that something of this magnitude does not happen again,” he said.
Any strengthening of homeschooling requirements could face an uphill battle in the two-thirds Republican legislature – particularly in the House of Representatives – as lawmakers expand school choice and financial support for families who homeschool their children.
Of. Kathie Hess Crouse, a homeschooling educator and activist, stressed that homeschooling laws should not be changed.
“It’s mostly the parents’ and grandparents’ fault. I don’t know what else we can do,” said Crouse, R-Putnam. “Child abuse and child neglect are already against the law.”
Kynnedi’s mother and grandparents are opposite Charged with aggravated child neglect.
Her mother had not submitted the required home schooling evaluations to the local school district, which could have prompted someone to check on the child.
Parents or guardians are required to submit to the District School Board the academic assessments of home-schooled students for the third, fifth, eighth and eleventh grades.
If documentation is not provided, local school districts are permitted under state education law to take action against the family, but are not required to do so.
“I believe that actually following up on our homeschool kids is a bigger issue than a specific homeschool law,” Justice said. “I think that’s still in its infancy, and we need to work more with the legislature to see how we can tighten up some things to make sure that maybe just no more … stuff like that happens.”
West Virginia has a high rate of child abuse
West Virginia has one of the nation’s highest rates from Child abuseand the state care system is largely overwhelmed by cases of abuse and neglect.
Senate Education Committee Chair Amy Grady, a public school teacher, said that in the state’s predominantly rural areas, it can be tough for people to find abused or neglected children who have been taken from public schools. Teachers and school staff are necessary Report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to child protection services.
“It is very easy for these families in these rural areas to take their children away and abuse them without being seen,” she said.
West Virginia Secretary of Education Michele Blatt said she is considering strengthening home schooling guidelines but needs legislative support to do so.
Grady said: “We don’t want to take away parents’ rights and I fully support school choice. I hope we can solve the problem as best we can and make it clear to parents who homeschool their children that we are not attacking them. We are just trying to protect children who don’t have good parents. I don’t know if we can find that balance, but I hope we can.”
In a statement on Thursday, Blair called on the House of Representatives to ““Join us as we begin working on these plans” to improve regulations for home-schooled children.
I hope that we can resolve the issue as best we can and make it clear to parents who homeschool their children that we are not attacking them. We are just trying to protect children who do not have good parents. I don’t know if we can find that balance, but I hope we can.
– Delegate Amy Grady, R-Mason
House members in particular have been adamant about protecting the right to homeschool with restricted government intervention. Several members are currently homeschooling their children.
“I think it will be more difficult in the House of Representatives,” Grady said.
House Speaker Ann Ali said in a statement that Speaker Roger Hanshaw (R-Clay) often says that “every bill is important to someone, and he also believes that not all of the state’s problems need to be solved by the legislature.”
She continued, “He is always open to sensible legislative proposals that result in a majority of delegates agreeing that the changes they are developing through the legislative process are necessary” to improve citizen safety and education.
Crouse said the school system is largely to blame for Kyneddi’s education not being pursued, and homeschooling laws should not be changed, she said, noting that there are nearly 30,000 homeschoolers in West Virginia.
“We already have laws on our books and the school system has chosen not to take them to court,” said Crouse, R-Putnam. “How can you do anything about that?”
She also said there had been failings by the CPS in the Kyneddi case.
In 2023, State Police officers visited the Boone County Child Protective Services office to speak in person about concerns about Kyneddi’s mental health. The Department of Corrections has confirmed that the officer’s car drove to the office, but Child Protective Services has no confirmation that officers entered the building and the report cannot be found in its system.
In addition, the state has records of CPS referrals from 2009 and 2017 involving Kyneddi’s family. The Secretary of the Department of Human Services said that these clues were not related to Kyneddi’s death.
“I am surprised that they completely acquitted CPS and [Boone County Schools] of any problems and that none of it seemed to be their fault,” Crouse said. “I knew they would look into homeschooling, and this was one of the options they could operate after choosing a school.”
In February approved a change in the law known as “Raylee’s Law” The bill would have suspended or potentially denied a parent’s request for home schooling if a teacher reported suspected child abuse. The bill did not take up the Senate.
The law, which Democrat Shawn Fluharty of Ohio has been pushing for for years, was named after an eight-year-old girl. Who died of abuse and neglect in 2018 after her parents took her out of school and wanted to homeschool her.
“Raylee’s Law finally made it through the House after years of effort, and the Senate wouldn’t even put it on the agenda,” Fluharty said. “The governor’s office has remained silent all this time while story after story exposes a broken system that screams for political interference.”
“I’m tired of press conferences, we need real politics.”
