State schools Superintendent Michele Blatt speaks during a news conference on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the state Capitol to discuss findings from an investigation into how state agencies interacted with Boone County teenager Kyneddi Miller prior to her death in April.
State schools Superintendent Michele Blatt speaks during a news conference on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the state Capitol to discuss findings from an investigation into how state agencies interacted with Boone County teenager Kyneddi Miller prior to her death in April.
CHARLESTON Ƶ Strengthening the Ƶguard railsƵ as they relate to homeschool assessment reporting could soon be an issue found on the plates of local policymakers and legislators.
On Thursday, a news conference was held at the state Capitol by the GovernorƵs Office to present findings from the stateƵs investigation into how various agencies handled interactions with a Boone County teenager prior to her death in April.
That child Ƶ 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller Ƶ was found in an Ƶemaciated to a skeletal state,Ƶ according to investigators. Her mother and two grandparents have each been charged with child neglect resulting in death. Each has pleaded not guilty.
Included in the discussion was the current state code as it relates to homeschooling.
Homeschooling and Kyneddi Miller
Officials report it appears around 2019, Miller began virtual learning and then transitioned to homeschool status, which removed her from the public school system.
State code requires that an individual providing homeschool instruction obtain an annual academic assessment of the child, and that the childƵs parent or legal guardian Ƶsubmit to the county superintendent the results of the academic assessment of the child.Ƶ
Those assessments are to be performed at grade levels 3, 5, 8 and 11.
According to information released Thursday, Miller appears to have entered sixth grade on virtual instruction and then went to homeschool status, meaning the next reported academic assessment wouldƵve been due at the end of her eighth-grade year. According to Brian Abraham, chief of staff to Gov. Jim Justice, no assessment was received by Boone County for that eighth-grade year.
Abraham said if an assessment is not reported to the county school system, the county ƵmayƵ reach out and possibly issue a truancy petition.
ƵSo there is an instance where if those things had been done, thereƵs a possibility Ƶ again IƵm not making an accusation that it was a certainty Ƶ there was a possibility ... there mightƵve been some court intervention that might at least have had contact with her in between 2023 when the Trooper was there (for a welfare check) and in 2024 when they found her,Ƶ Abraham said.
Strengthening Ƶguard railsƵ
When asked during ThursdayƵs event about how the state monitors homeschool students, state schools Superintendent Michele Blatt said the Department of Education was ƵeagerƵ to work with the Legislature to see how to Ƶstrengthen the guard railsƵ around homeschool reporting requirements.
ƵWhile we know that we have a great deal of homeschool parents that do things the right way and take care of their kids and itƵs the best choice for those families, I think that our 7,000 foster kids in the system is proof that not all parents do whatƵs best for their children,Ƶ Blatt said. ƵAnd during the pandemic, our biggest concern was that we did not have eyes on some of these students for over a year.Ƶ
Currently, Blatt said, assessment reports can be provided electronically or submitted with the appropriate office, options that do not require physical interaction with the child.
Moving forward, Blatt said, sheƵd like to strengthen those reporting requirements, including tasking an agency with contacting a family to physically see a child if no required assessment is submitted.
Abraham reiterated the governorƵs support of school choice and a parentƵs right to choose the homeschool option, but also said Ƶwe can see it has potential ramifications if there isnƵt at least some ability to have contact with children.Ƶ
ƵItƵs a tradeoff,Ƶ he said. ƵWe have to find a sweet spot Ƶ and the policymakers have to craft some kind of fix for that, if they want to.Ƶ
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