Officials Demand Stricter Oversight of Homeschooling After Tragic Death of 14-Year-Old Girl
Ripley, West Virginia — Homeschooling was pushed into the state’s attention with the murder of a 14-year-old Kyneddi Miller in Boone County, who was discovered dead in a “skeletal state” after her mother pulled her out of public school in 2021 to be homeschooled.
The girl’s mother, Julie Miller, who is charged in her murder, never submitted the homeschooling assessment for her daughter in her eighth-grade year, as required by state law, and the school system did not follow up.
Gov. Jim Justice believes some sort of control is necessary for homeschooling families in the state, but he admits he is unsure whether there will be enough Republican support in the legislature to change the current law.
However, a group of school officials is advocating for yearly checks to ensure the safety of homeschooled pupils, as well as an accurate estimate of their academic progress.
Leaders of the West Virginia Association of School Administrators, a group of superintendents, believe there should be greater accountability for what happens when students are homeschooled.
They intend to petition politicians for yearly academic exams and testing, as opposed to the existing system, which only requires tests four times during a K 12 education, and occasionally not at all. They also claim that the annual assessment will provide an opportunity to check on the child’s health.
“We would like for everyone to take the same assessment, to be put on the same playing field,” said William Hosaflook, Jackson County superintendent and WVASA vice president. “Not only does that provide an equal assessment for all students no matter of school choice, but it does also allow the school districts to place eyes on students.”
Home School Assessments are now given after the third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades, and the county system may act if it does not receive them.
With the current system limiting a child’s education to only four points across four years, it’s easy for a pupil to fall between the gaps.
In the instance of Kyneddi Miller in Boone County, her mother, who was indicted Monday, never provided the needed evaluation, and Boone County School authorities did nothing.
Kimberly Miller, Ohio County School Superintendent and President of WVASA told MetroNews’ “Talkline” that if school districts are to continue to be held accountable for all students, they must make annual contact.
Only 36% of 11th graders’ parents submitted the needed assessment, and school administrators fear that people are simply pretending to be homeschooling pupils to avoid the consequences of chronic absenteeism.
“Four students, just because they received a letter that we were looking at their attendance, they have enrolled in home school,” Hosaflook informed me.
Jackson County has handed up seven names to the county prosecutor.