Panel Passes Deadline For Dual Enrollment

Despite opposition from state Superintendent of Public Instruction Anne Fox, Moscow Sen. Gary Schroeder narrowly won the endorsement of the House Education Committee requiring parents to notify public schools about their plans for dual enrollment.

After the committee voted 9-8 Friday to reject Boise Rep. Fred Tilman’s motion to kill the bill, the panel recommended the full House approve the bill in a voice vote.

Under the measure, parents must notify school districts by Aug. 1 each year of their intention to enroll children who are either home-schooled or attending private school.

Fox contended the state’s year-old dual enrollment law already allows school districts to adopt their own procedures governing it.

She said 412 students have relied on the law and the Education Department has not heard a barrage of complaints from the districts.

Rep. Maynard Miller, R-Moscow, said Schroeder’s bill will pre-empt a lot of difficulties for the districts.

Schroeder, Republican Senate Education Committee chairman, said Moscow school officials believe his bill is needed because students who use the law can now enroll at any time.

Only one of 14 students who employed the law there were actually being home-schooled, he said. The other 13 dropped out of classes after not performing as well as they wanted.